Mouly Surya

Surya studied Media and Literature in Australia and earned a B. A. from Swinburne University and an M. A. from Bond University. While in Australia, she ran a blog and became online friends with then-unknown Raditya Dika who was studying in Adelaide and later became a collaborator in the film adaptation of his best-selling book Kambing Jantan.{{Cite web|title=Ketika Mouly Surya Bicara Tentang Filmnya dan Kemungkinan Gabung BCU - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kHQb6TCzJM|access-date=2021-02-01|website=www.youtube.com}}

Upon graduation, Surya came back to Indonesia and gained experience in the local film industry by working as assistant directors in Rako Prijanto's comedy-drama D'Bijis (2007) and romance Love Is Red (2007). While working on the latter, she met future husband Rama Adi, who was part of the film's cinematography department.{{Cite web|last=Djaya|first=Andi Baso|title=Pasutri sehati dalam film|url=https://lokadata.id/artikel/pasutri-sehati-dalam-film|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Lokadata.ID|language=id}}

In 2007, she acquired funding to direct Fiksi. based on a screenplay she developed herself. She and Adi decided to become collaborators and founded their own film production company Cinesurya. Based on the advice of Riri Riza, they decided to seek another collaborator who could bring more experience in shaping the screenplay, which turned out to be producer Tia Hasibuan and Joko Anwar. Anwar spent a month working on Surya's draft and was credited as a co-writer.

In 2008, Fiksi. was released theatrically with Ladya Cheryl, Donny Alamsyah, and Kinaryosih in the starring roles.{{Citation|last=Surya|first=Mouly|title=Fiksi.|date=2008-06-19|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1239435/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_4|type=Thriller|others=Ladya Cheryl, Donny Alamsyah, Kinaryosih, Soultan Saladin|publisher=Cinesurya Productions|access-date=2021-02-01}} The film received critical acclaim, but failed commercially with only 30 thousand admissions. At the 28th Citra Awards, Surya made history by becoming the first woman to win Best Director since the award was first given in 1955.{{Cite web|last=antaranews.com|date=2008-12-13|title=Pemenang Festival Film Indonesia 2008|url=https://www.antaranews.com/berita/126796/pemenang-festival-film-indonesia-2008|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Antara News}} Overall, the film won four out of its ten nominations, the other three being Best Picture, Best Screenplay for Surya and Anwar, and Best Original Score.

In 2009, Surya co-wrote the screenplay of Kambing Jantan: The Movie with Salman Aristo and friend Raditya Dika based on Dika's novel of the same name.{{Citation|title=Kambing Jantan (2009) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385919/fullcredits|access-date=2021-02-01}}

In 2013, Surya wrote and directed her sophomore feature What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love. In January, the film made history as the first Indonesian film to compete at the Sundance Film Festival of that year in the World Dramatic Competition, where it also had its world premiere.{{Cite web|title=Rombongan "What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love" Disambut Hangat di Sundance Film Festival 2013|url=https://archive.tabloidbintang.com/berita/gosip/62486-rombongan-what-they-don-t-talk-about-when-they-talk-about-love-disambut-hangat-di-sundance-film-festival-2013.html|access-date=2021-02-01|website=archive.tabloidbintang.com}} Domestically, the film was released in May 2013. It stars Nicholas Saputra and Ayushita in the starring roles.{{Citation|last=Surya|first=Mouly|title=Yang tidak dibicarakan ketika membicarakan cinta|date=2013-01-19|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2551500/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_3|type=Drama, Romance|others=Nicholas Saputra, Ayushita, Karina Salim, Anggun Priambodo|access-date=2021-02-01}} The film is a romantic drama involving characters with different types of disabilities.{{Citation|last=Surya|first=Mouly|title=Yang tidak dibicarakan ketika membicarakan cinta|date=2013-01-19|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2551500/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt|type=Drama, Romance|others=Nicholas Saputra, Ayushita, Karina Salim, Anggun Priambodo|access-date=2021-02-01}} The film performed poorly at the box office but received positive reviews from critics, with The Hollywood Reporter's Duane Byrge calling it a "touching and brilliantly envisioned story of a young, nearly blind teen's first love."{{Cite web|last=Byrge|first=Duane|date=|title=What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love|url=http://feed.hollywoodreporter.com/~r/thr/film/~3/BQp2dzJH-pg/story01.htm|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-01|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

Surya then released her third feature film Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts in 2017. It premiered at the Directors' Fortnight event of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival in May before receiving a domestic release later in November.{{Citation|title=Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5923026/releaseinfo|access-date=2021-02-01}} A revenge drama-thriller, the film was only the fourth Indonesian film ever to make the festival's official selection after Eros Djarot's Tjoet Nja' Dhien and Garin Nugroho's Leaf on a Pillow in 1998 as well as Nugroho's Serambi in 2006.{{Cite web|date=2017-05-29|title=Indonesia's "Marlina" Debuts at Cannes|url=https://www.prestigeonline.com/id/pursuits/indonesias-marlina-debuts-at-cannes/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Prestige Online - Indonesia|language=en-US}} While Surya co-wrote the screenplay with husband and collaborator Rama Adi, Garin Nugroho is credited with the original story, which he shared with Surya while they were part of a Citra Award jury panel. Marsha Timothy stars as a young widow who is raped and violated by local thugs and sets out to take revenge on her attackers.{{Citation|title=Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/marlina_the_murderer_in_four_acts|language=en|access-date=2021-02-01}}

In a review for Variety following its Cannes screening, Maggie Lee gave the film a rave review, praising Surya's ability to "build nail-biting tension" with a climax that "rivals any of [Quentin] Tarantino's high concept violence".{{Cite web|last=Lee|first=Maggie|date=2017-05-26|title=Film Review: 'Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts'|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/marlina-the-murder-in-four-acts-review-1202446324/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Variety|language=en-US}} Lee's description of the film as having "pioneered a new genre" coined the term "satay Western" in reference to the film's Western style but told from a female perspective while incorporating Indonesia's traditional values. The term "satay Western" has since been used in multiple media coverage of the film.{{Cite web|title=Satay Western 'Marlina the Murderer' to Represent Indonesia at the Oscars|url=https://jakartaglobe.id/lifestyle/satay-western-marlina-the-murderer-to-represent-indonesia-at-the-oscars|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Jakarta Globe}}{{Cite web|date=2017-09-26|title=JPNN|url=https://www.jpnn.com/news/film-indonesia-ini-disebut-melahirkan-genre-satay-westren|access-date=2021-02-01|website=www.jpnn.com|language=id}}{{Cite web|last=Saraswati|first=Dyah Paramita|title=Mengulik Genre Satay Western di 'Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak'|url=https://hot.detik.com/movie/d-3721133/mengulik-genre-satay-western-di-marlina-si-pembunuh-dalam-empat-babak|access-date=2021-02-01|website=detikhot|language=id-ID}}

At the 38th Citra Awards the following year, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts received 15 nominations, breaking Teguh Karya's Mother's record of the most nominations received by a film ever with 10 in 1986.{{Cite web|title=Film Marlina si Pembunuh Dalam Empat Babak Tercatat sebagai Peraih Nominasi Terbanyak di FFI 2018|url=https://www.tribunnews.com/seleb/2018/11/10/film-marlina-si-pembunuh-dalam-empat-babak-menjadi-peraih-nominasi-terbanyak-di-ffi-2018|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Tribunnews.com|language=id-ID}} The record was later broken by Joko Anwar's Impetigore which received 17 nominations in 2020.{{Cite web|title='Perempuan Tanah Jahanam' dominates 2020 FFI Awards with 17 nods|url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2020/11/09/perempuan-tanah-jahanam-dominates-2020-ffi-awards-with-17-nods.html|access-date=2021-02-01|website=The Jakarta Post|language=en}} It went on to win 10 awards, including Best Picture, a second Best Director for Surya, Best Actress for Marsha Timothy, Best Supporting Actress for Dea Panendra, and Best Original Screenplay for Surya and Adi.{{Cite web|last=antaranews.com|date=2018-12-09|title=Daftar lengkap pemenang Piala Citra FFI 2018|url=https://www.antaranews.com/berita/776260/daftar-lengkap-pemenang-piala-citra-ffi-2018|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Antara News}} The film was selected as Indonesia's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 91st Academy Awards, but failed to get a nomination.{{Cite web|title=Marlina Gagal Masuk Nominasi Piala Oscar 2019|url=https://www.kincir.com/movie/cinema/marlina-gagal-nominasi-oscar-2019|access-date=2021-02-01|website=kincir.com|language=id}}

In July 2018, Surya released a short music film We See You Jakarta on the YouTube channel of the English indie pop band The xx.{{Cite web|title=The XX Luncurkan Film Pendek Karya Sutradara Tanah Air, Mouly Surya|url=https://kumparan.com/millennial/the-xx-luncurkan-film-pendek-karya-sutradara-tanah-air-mouly-surya-21dM5TZPGr|access-date=2021-02-06|website=kumparan|language=id-ID}} The film features footage from the band's I See You Tour as well as rearranged music performed by the film's cast.{{Cite web|title=The xx – We See You Jakarta - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROPktuVDQIg|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.youtube.com}}

In late 2019, Surya began production on an adaptation of Mochtar Lubis' novel A Road with no End, something Surya mentioned is a dream project for her.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-21|title=Alasan Mouly Surya Adaptasi Novel Mochtar Lubis|url=https://republika.co.id/share/qc99ty463|access-date=2021-02-06|website=Republika Online|language=id}}{{Cite web|title=Ketika Mouly Surya Bicara Tentang Filmnya dan Kemungkinan Gabung BCU - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kHQb6TCzJM&t=430s|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.youtube.com}} The film, titled This City Is a Battlefield, is a war drama set in 1946 just after Indonesia's independence the previous year.

Commissioned by the Singapore International Film Festival and produced by Cinesurya, Surya's short film Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue was released in March 2020.{{Cite web|title=Film Pendek - SOMETHING OLD, NEW, BORROWED AND BLUE (Ayushita dan Christine Hakim) - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn5Coc2-5JM|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.youtube.com}} The film stars Ayushita and veteran actress Christine Hakim. Another short, titled Doll, premiered the following month on YouTube.{{Cite web|title=doll (SHORT FILM) written and directed by Mouly Surya - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxTBhFp2N4c|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.youtube.com}} The film was made while Surya was a student in Australia and contains dialogue in English.{{Cite web|title=Rama Adi dengan Mouly Surya bicara tentang "doll" film pendek tugas Mouly dulu waktu di sekolah film - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om-R-JIOx3M|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.youtube.com}}

In May 2020, Netflix announced that Surya will helm the action-thriller film Trigger Warning with a screenplay by Josh Olson (known for David Cronenberg's A History of Violence) and John Brancato (known for David Fincher's The Game).{{Cite web|title=Mouly Surya to helm Netflix action thriller starring Jessica Alba|url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2020/05/16/mouly-surya-to-helm-netflix-action-thriller-starring-jessica-alba.html|access-date=2021-02-01|website=The Jakarta Post|language=en}} Jessica Alba stars as a PTSD afflicted former service-member who inherits her grandfather's bar and soon discovers the truth behind his death.{{Cite web|title=Cerita Soal Film Trigger Warning yang Dibintangi Jessica Alba, Mouly Surya: Target Syuting Awalnya Tahun Ini, Tapi.... - Semua Halaman - Grid.ID|url=https://www.grid.id/read/042201992/cerita-soal-film-trigger-warning-yang-dibintangi-jessica-alba-mouly-surya-target-syuting-awalnya-tahun-ini-tapi?page=all|access-date=2021-02-01|website=www.grid.id|language=id}}

Surya is married to Rama Adi, who co-founded their production company Cinesurya and has been involved in her first three films. They won a Citra Award together in 2018 for co-writing Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts.

{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Mouly Surya}}

{{reflist}}

{{Mouly Surya}}

{{Citra Award for Best Director}}

{{Maya Award for Best Director}}

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Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Citra Award winners

Category:Indonesian film directors

Category:Indonesian women film directors

Category:Swinburne University of Technology alumni

Category:Bond University alumni