Film
Reza Rahadian at the Berlinale Talents
Award winning Indonesian actor Reza Rahadian recounts his experience attending the 66 Berlinale Talents.
How did you get here?
This is my third time at the Berlinale. I came in 2012 for Kamila Andini’s film The Mirror Never Lies (screened at the Generation Kplus) and the second time was in 2013 with Teddy Soeriaatmadja’s Something in the Way in the Panorama section. Now I am here as a Talent. I have been interested in applying for the Berlinale Talents. I checked the information from the Internet. I filled the application form, answered all questions about my personal information and acting career and I sent my show reels. I submitted two show reels, the first being from Teddy’s film Something in the Way and the second is from Garin Nugroho’s Guru Bangsa:Tjokroaminoto (2015). They assessed my credential from this. I also listed my accomplishments and awards that I have received in Indonesia.
You are a very accomplished actor in Indonesia. Why did you want to participate at the Berlinale Talents?
I want to inspire Indonesian young actors not to stop learning, not to stop feeling satisfied with their achievement. There is an assumption that acting is an easy job. We just need to read the script and memorize it. I want to criticize that. As an actor, it’s not enough to rely on your face. We can be an actor until we are getting old therefore we shouldn’t stop learning. That is why I submitted my application to the Berlinale Talents. I also wanted to gain a new experience and meet new people and actors from all over the world.
What is your impression of the festival so far?
I am learning so much, particularly from the acting workshop. I attended their acting studio. There are so many things that can be brought home to Indonesia, things that I can practice once I am back. This sounds cliché but it is true. For example, Indonesian actors might not be familiar with Alexander technique (Alexander technique is fundamental in actors’ training in theater schools and universities in the United States and Europe, writer). This is something new for me. In addition, I also met a producer from Montreal who is developing a film project. The film will be shot in Canada but they are looking for an actor with a Middle Eastern look. The shooting will take place in August 2016. We had a great meeting and I gave them a show reel.
Meeting Meryl Streep
Tell me about your most wonderful experience here at the Berlinale Talents.
I went to Meryl Streep’s session at the Berlinale Talents. She’s a goddess, a goddess of acting. It was so much fun. She shared a lot of her experiences and knowledge about acting. She recounted her preparation in playing a variety of characters. She has played various characters. She is well known as one of the most flexible and adaptive actors in Hollywood. Seeing her in a person and being given a chance to ask a question directly to her is a great experience. I almost cried…***