Starstruck: Me, Film Festivals and Great Directors

About 11-12 years ago, when I did my master at Universiteit van Amsterdam, I had privilege as a film critic to attend and cover many prestigious film festivals in Europe. As one of the editors of RumahFilm.org (RF),  I was keen to explore  some film festivals, to enjoy great films, to feel the atmosphere, and, who knows, I would meet great filmmakers.

photobombed Herzog, IDFA 2007

My first experience was IDFA, in November 2007.  Struggling to manage time, since I was also a master student, I successfully watched some movies and wrote the reviews for RF. I also interviewed Leslie Woodhead. who had plan (at that time) to shoot a documentary about the influence of The Beatles in USSR, for Rolling Stone Indonesia. But the most exciting one was a program called A Conversation with Werner Herzog, 3 December at Tuschinsky Bioscoope.  I skipped a class and decided to go to the talk. And Rini, my RF colleague from Brussels, came and...I photobombed Herzog!
BTW, Herzog was there for his film, Encounter at the end of the World.

with Sokurov

My second experience was Rotterdam International Film FEstival, 23 Jan 2008 – 3 Feb 2008. I took a train and celebrated global cinema. I am still wondering why many great film festivals are held in the cold winter time. But that did not stop Film Enthusiasts. Rotterdam is a warm and friendly festival. I could enter De Doelen, their headquarter, and met many filmmakers. There, I met Edwin, mas Riri Riza, mbak Mira Lesmana, and some Asian fIlmmakers such as Ho Yohang and Tsang Mi Liang. But, my "achivement" was meeting  Alexander Skurov, got his signature, and took some pictures.  He was there for his film, Alexandra. He said he took train from Moscow since he couldn't take aeroplane due to his heart condition. 

with Indonesian Film Delegates, Rotterdam 2008

February 2008: Berlinale Film Festival. I was broke, a film student who ran out of cash and at that time still waited for my second funding. But, still, I took train for 6 hours from Amsterdam and stayed at cheap B&B. There, I met so many great directors and celebrities, of course from the distance, at press conferences: Gondry, Madonna, etc. I watched The Rolling Stones in red carpet, from a distance. And, after watching a movie, I took wrong exit, and...met Shu Qi! I also took picture with Majid Majidi, but the picture is still missing somewhere. 
I met Kak Yasmin Ahmad for the last time, at Zoo Palast. She was one of the juries of Generation Plus section.
Berlinale Film Festival is not that "friendly" for people like me.  Quite snobbish. Comparing to Rotterdam, we can't approach filmmakers freely, they were guarded tightly.  

At Berlinale 2008, I also met mas Garin Nugroho as the chair of jury at Forum section and I witnessed Asian 

Press room at Rotterdam

filmmakers respect him. He was interviewed by Cahiers du Cinema and took me  me to the main venue to watch Happy-Go-Lucky at the premiere screening. Red Army something won Forum category. I also met  Teh Nia Dinata who was there to hunt children films for her children film festival. I watched Hanna Makhmalbaf (the youngest of Makhmalbaf Family)'s  Budha Collapsed Out Of Shame and witnessed how children were enthusiastic to do Q&A and asked very critical questions. I interviewed her and her brother Maysam. Alas, I took picture and lost it.


Actually, I went to many film festivals. For example, In April 2008, I went to Amsterdam Fantastic Film FEstival. Midnight Screenings aka All-Nighters. Joko Anwar took me there.  And, I almost met Tim Burton (the winner of Career Achievement Awards that year). I was with everybody else, lining up to meet Tim Burton to take picture or ask for signature. I was that close, 4 people more to go, and...the committee decided to stop the event.  Oh no.
  

waiting for Sokurov, Rotterdam 2008

There are some more experiences, actually. I met 
Jafar Panahi and Sinya Tsukamoto, at JIFFEST 2000 and had interview with them. At  Sundance Film Festival 2001, I met Bong Jon Hoo (Remember Parasite?)  and got his signature during Midnight Screening of Roger Corman documentary.  It was a wild guess as he sat in front of me. It was also a wild guess when I stopped a gentleman and  ask whether he was  Jason Reitman, and he said "no, I am not".  LOL 
I also went to 2011 Hawaii International Film Festival and 2012 Hong Kong International Film Festival. 

Alhamdulillah.

Thanks to Asmayani Kusrini for the great pictures.