Nan Achnas

While graduating from the University of East Anglia, she directed a film entitled The Only Day (1988) as her diploma film. It won the Grand Prix at the Asian Young Cinema Film Festival in Tokyo. In 2020, she obtained her PhD degree at Nanyang Technological University Singapore with a doctoral thesis on “Experimenting with the essay form and wayang in contemporary Indonesian filmmaking: when shadows are grey”. Apart from directing films, Achnas' teaches film at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts considered as the main film school in Indonesia.

• Birthplace — Singapore • Born — 1963 • Education — University of East Anglia Nan Triveni Achnas is an Indonesian film director.

Achnas first got recognition in 1995 with her short film The Little Gayo Singer. She went forward to direct five other films, one of which she also undertook the role of producer (Bendera, 2002). Nan Achnas, together with Mira Lesmana, an independent producer and director, were actively part of a self-aware film movement regarding the participation of women in film. The movement began through the experimental film, Kuldesak (1998), which they collectively produced near the beginning of Achnas' career. Achnas, along with other female Indonesian filmmakers, finds it difficult to increase the participation of women in both the political and social realms of life and work to promote gender politics in Indonesia. When asked about facing discrimination as a woman filmmaker, Achnas says: "Everybody is asking, 'Do you have a problem being a woman filmmaker?' And I say: 'No, should I?' Apparently, there is this brand of feminism saying, 'Do you know why you do not have a problem? Because you are still... because the system is still not at the stage where men dominate. But when men dominate an industry then you will have problems.' Then I say, 'So far as you know, we are talking about a vacuum of 10 years, where nobody made films and now most of the decision-makers are women.' So there has been no discrimination, nothing." (2013) When speaking about the difficulties in filmmaking, Achnas claims: “You just have to have staying power and obsession, almost a fixation.” She also has spoken about government funding and the lack thereof in Indonesia. Achnas says: “In countries like South Korea, like Iran, there’s always some money from the government to make films that are not really for the mainstream market. That is not available here (Indonesia). I make films not purely for the mainstream market (so) I get my funding outside.” When speaking about making films in Indonesia, she claims “Indonesia is different because we don’t have an Indonesian diaspora, compared with the Indian or the Chinese.” In terms of the filmmaking world, Achnas is not surprised by the recycling process that is constantly seen in films. She states that, “It was the romantic teenage drama and then the horror genre came and now it's the comedies, and I predict it's probably the erotic films next because history repeats it- self.” Achnas' admits being against anti-pornography law. This statement was made in regards to the Bill against Pornography and Pornoaction that was passed in Indonesia in 2008.

• The Little Gayo Singer (1995) • Kuldesak (1998) • Whispering Sands (2001) • Invisible Garments, Expensive Soles (2001) • Bendera (2002) and produced • The Photograph (2007)

Source: Asia-Pacific Film Festival (2001) • Won Special Jury Award Brisbane International Film Festival (2002) • Netpac Award - Special Mention Oslo Films from the South Festival (2002) • Won FIPRESCI Prize Seattle International Film Festival (2002) • Won Asian Trade Winds Special Jury Prize Pusan International Film Festival (2001) • Nominated for New Currents Award Rotterdam International Film Festival (2002) • Nominated for Tiger Award Singapore International Film Festival (2002) • Nominated for Silver Screen Award - Best Asian Feature Film