Indonesia is a country that has been blessed with talented female figures, especially in art. From writers to filmmakers, these talented women help to shape the nation’s creativity and art.
These are the four exceptional Indonesian women who are redefining and elevating the world of art and storytelling.
Intan Paramaditha
Intan Paramaditha is an author, activist, and lecturer on media and film studies at Macquarie University, Sydney. She earned her Ph.D. in cinema studies from New York University. Her first compilation of short stories, Sihir Perempuan or Apple and Knife, was released in 2005.
So far, Intan has written 2 novels, 3 collections of short stories, and also a play titled Goyang Penasaran (The Obsessive Twist). She is also actively raising awareness and is very vocal on her activism, especially on decolonization feminism, through her social media posts and Sekolah Pemikir Perempuan (The School of Women’s Thought).
Kamila Andini
Kamila Andini is one of the most celebrated female directors in Indonesia. You may have noticed her name on her most recent work, Gadis Kretek or Cigarette Girl (2023) released on Netflix.
She has directed several films, including Laut Bercermin or The Mirror Never Lies (2012), Sekala Niskala or The Seen and Unseen (2017), Yuni (2019), and Nana or Before Now and Then (2022). Andini’s work usually features women as her film’s main characters and the complexity of their emotions.
Her films, have gained recognition through nominations and premieres in both domestic and international competitions, such as the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF), Festival Film Indonesia (FFI), and Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).
One of her most famous film, Yuni, won the Platform Prize from TIFF.
The film follows a story of Yuni, a high-achieving high school student, who is torn between chasing her dream to attend a university or getting married.
Mouly Surya
Similar to Kamila Andini, Mouly Surya is also an award-winning female director and screenwriter.
She has directed several films, such as Fiksi or Fiction (2008), What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love (2013), and Marlina, Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak or Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017).
Her action neo-noir feature film, Marlina, competed in Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and was chosen to represent Indonesia for the best foreign film category at the 91st Academy Awards. Set in rural Sumba, the film follows Marlina’s journey for justice after a robbery that involves seven men.
Dewi Lestari
Dewi (Dee) Lestari is a singer, songwriter, and author. Before she became an author, Dee was a singer in a pop trio called RSD (Rida, Sita, Dewi) during the 1990s. In the early 2000s, she released her first book, Supernova 1 and quickly became a bestseller.
Since then, she has written several best-selling books, including the Supernova series, Perahu Kertas (Paper Boats), released in 2009, and Aroma Karsa (2016). Some of her books also have been translated and even adapted into films.
Hopefully, these exceptional Indonesian women can inspire you to be bold in your own artistic journey, to challenge norms, and to share your voice with the world.
