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‘Having an Affair is Unforgivable’
Screenwriter-producer-director Nia Dinata is not one to
shy away from uncomfortable issues in her art. The founder of Kalyana
Shira Film relishes confronting controversial topics, whether in the
lushly detailed historical romance Ca Bau Kan, prying open the closet
door with the groundbreaking gay sub-theme of Arisan or taking on the
always touchy subject of polygamy in Berbagi Suami. Out now is Quickie
Express, written by Arisan collaborator Joko Anwar and directed by
Dimas Djayadiningrat, a comedy that Nia, 37, describes as “strictly
for adults”.
It may come as a surprise then that her first cinematic hero, as
she reveals here, was a universal icon of sweetness personified. Just
don’t call her the M word!
 Describe yourself in
three words.
Talkative,
sincere and crazy.
So, what is the
craziest thing you have ever done …
Wow, for a
person like me, it’s having two sons and doing crazy things with them.
My best trait is …
I am
sincere, I cannot stand pretentious attitudes.
And worst …
I love to
procrastinate with my work. That’s a habit I still have.
I’m bored by …
People
whose conversation doesn’t interest me and who only talk about
unimportant matters.
My first cinematic
memory …
The
Sound of Music,
the scene where the nanny makes dresses from the curtains. I watched
it when I was a kid, and the fact that you could lose your mom but
have someone else replace her, who also cared for you, was something
that was very shocking and also enlightening for me when I was about
six years old.
My childhood hero was
…
Julie
Andrews.
In high
school I was …
Rebellious. I ditched a lot of classes, and got caught a lot!
I always
have with me …
My cigarettes, that’s my bad habit.
My friends would be
surprised if …
I wore my
hair natural. It’s curly, I hate it.
My favorite place on
Earth is …
My big bed with my two little boys, and my big boy, my husband.
My favorite food ever
…
I love
eating! But it would have to be black ink squid spaghetti.
At the age
of 20 …
I was
looking for love!
I wish I
had made …
Happy
Together.
I wish I had the privilege of living in
Buenos Aires for a year to make that movie.
I laugh at
…
My own stupidity.
And cry?
Anything, I cry easily. A sad or even a happy scene in a movie makes
me cry.
If I could
change something in the world …
Does it
have to be one? I wish I could save more energy, and that I had
started being energy-conscious earlier.
My favorite
song is …
Nina
Simone’s version of Here Comes the Sun.
Don’t
call me …
Madame!
My greatest
fear is …
Losing my children.
Love is …
Unconditional.
The meaning of
friendship is…
Profound.
The unforgivable is …
I think I’m too forgiving. Maybe for me, it’s having an affair.
The talent I wish I
had …
My other passion is ballet, but I can’t do it. I wish I could be a
dancer.
My greatest achievement is …
Being able to
juggle time between family and work.
My two dream dinner
guests…
Mahatma
Gandhi, because I adore him and I think he could provide inspirational
conversation at my dinner table. And the other would Mira Nair,
because I love her work. They would be good together.
My favorite
animal is …
Rabbits,
because they are cute and low maintenance.
Regrets?
There is
no point in having regrets.
My happiest
moment was …
The second
when I gave birth and saw that my sons were perfect.
How would
you like to die?
I think I would like to die on my own bed, not in a hospital, with my
children and husband around me.
+ Bruce Emond
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