April 2009

10 Minutes With... Hanny Saputra.

An Indonesian cult director speaks of his horror film debut

10 Minutes With... Hanny Saputra.

WORDS DEVI ASMARANI
PHOTOGRAPHY DIANTI ANDAJANI

Why was The Real Pocong set in daylight?
I believe the reality of the soul knows no day or night. We tried to make the movie mysterious, using a beautiful landscape as a setting, but behind this beauty is something scary.

Why do Asian audiences love being frightened?
Horror is universal. Everyone has their own ghosts or monsters, depending on their culture. In Asia, our scary stories are based on deeply ingrained myths. We are used to feeling the presence of ghosts among us.

Have you ever seen a ghost?
I’ve never seen a ghost, but I have experienced something I couldn’t explain logically. It felt like being engaged by a white cloud, in a state between sleeping and consciousness. [I had] no fears at all, but I couldn’t control my body. I just lay still ... [I] couldn’t refuse it.

What’s next on the project list?
To adapt a novel by Clara Eng, about four identical quadruplets, of Chinese origin. They each take different paths and the movie is about how they deal with their problems. It’s a conflict between modernity and tradition, and touches on social problems surrounding the lives of minority races.

Would you like to direct outside Indonesia?
I’m closest to Indonesia, I understand this country more. If I had a choice, I would like a Hollywood budget, working in Indonesia. Like the film industry in China. We have such a wealth of potential to make our film industry succeed internationally.

Released in Indonesia on 5 March, The Real Pocong, starring Malaysian actor Ashraf Sinclair, is expected for regional release later this year. www.sinemart.com






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