Lovely Man


Lovely Man is a 2011 Indonesian film written and directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja. The film had its world premiere at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival to positive reviews on the segment "A Window on Asian Cinema". Donny Damara plays the starring role as Syaiful/Ipuy, a transgender woman in Jakarta. Actress Raihaanun, who is also Soeriaatmadja's wife, plays the female leading role as Cahaya, Syaiful's long-lost 19-year-old daughter who comes to the city to look for him only to find out that her father is a transgender woman. This is their second film together after 2007 remake of drama :id:Badai Pasti Berlalu |Badai Pasti Berlalu.
The film generated controversy in its native Indonesia due to rejections from certain religious group but saw overwhelming receptions abroad; screening for various international film festivals.

Plot

Lovely Man tells the story of Cahaya, a 19-year-old girl with strong Islamic values, who discovers that her long lost father is a transvestite working on the streets of Jakarta. The story unfolds over that one night as they walk the streets of Jakarta and explains how the encounter changes their lives, as they learn about love, loss and redemption.
Cahaya arrives in Jakarta from what can be assumed is her small town home just as the sun is setting. Armed with a piece of notepaper and a few rupiah, she's in the city on a search for the father she hasn't seen since she was four. Asking neighbors and shopkeepers in the area he lives in for Syaiful gets her blank stares in return. When they finally figure out she means Ipuy, they point her in the right direction and say he's “working” around Taman Lawang. Cahaya, naturally, goes looking for an office building or store.
When she locates Ipuy, she finds a transvestite prostitute plying her trade on the streets. In the initial minutes after encountering each other, both are shocked at the turn of evens. The innocent Cahaya is crushed at her father's choices; Ipuy is horrified to see the daughter he willfully left behind.

Cast

The film was made with a very small budget, which director Soeriaatmadja referred to as the "survival technique."

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival in the segment "A Window on Asian Cinema." The segment also screened Ari Sihasale's Serdadu Kumbang and Salaman Aristo's Jakarta Maghrib.
In October 2013, it was screened for the London Indonesian Film Screenings at the London University School of African and Oriental Studies. Other films screened were :id:Paul Agusta|Paul Agusta's Parts of the Heart, Eugene Panji's :id:Cita-Citaku Setinggi Tanah|Cita-Citaku Setinggi Tanah, Rahung Nasution's Mentawai Tattoo Revival, Yosep Anggi Noen's :id:Vakansi Yang Janggal dan Penyakit Lainnya|Peculiar Vacation and Other Ilnesses, and Riri Riza's three features: :id:Kuldesak |Kuldesak, 3 Hari untuk Selamanya, and :id:Atambua 39° Celsius|Atambua 39 Celcius.
In Indonesia, its release garnered controversy due to rejections from certain religious group but still saw limited release in several theaters throughout the country on 10 May 2012.
The film was screened in the following film festivals:
The film critics' website Inspire Ground praises Soeriaatmadja's direction in regards to Cahaya and Syaiful's contradicting values for managing to make "both world combined and worked well without having too much fantasy or too depressing." The review singled out Damara's performance as Syaiful/Ipuy, noting that " it was pretty shocking to see as a transgender."
In a positive review, Elizabeth Kerr of The Hollywood Reporter also singled out Damara's performance, calling it "Damara's show" while adding that "with his square jaw and heavy brow, Damara jettisons excessive mannerisms for little details and stays respectful of Ipuy. He uses words as weapons and comports himself in a way that makes clear the status transgender people hold in the world. When he finally relates to Cahaya as Saiful, his ruggedly handsome features carry a melancholy that speaks to what happens after the film is over. Ipuy is in trouble with some local gangsters and after he sends Cahaya home with a promise never to contact him again, it’s clear how the story truly ends."

Accolades

The film received many awards and nominations, both domestic and international. Donny Damara received rave reviews for his performance as Syaiful/Ipul, resulting in a Best Actor accolade from Maya Awards, Asian Film Awards, and the Indonesian Oscar-equivalent Citra Awards. The film has been credited for reviving Damara's career as a film actor.
YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2012Asian Film AwardsBest DirectorTeddy Soeriaatmadja
2012Asian Film AwardsBest ActorDonny Damara
2012Asian Film AwardsPeople's Choice Award for Favorite ActorDonny Damara
2012Tel Aviv International LGBT Film FestivalBest FilmLovely Man
2012Osaka Asian Film FestivalSpecial Mention AwardLovely Man
2012Tiburon International Film FestivalBest FilmLovely Man
2012Tiburon International Film FestivalBest DirectorTeddy Soeriaatmadja
2012Indonesian Movie AwardsPeople's Choice Award for Favorite FilmLovely Man
2012Indonesian Movie AwardsBest ActorDonny Damara
2012Indonesian Movie AwardsBest ActressRaihaanun
2012Indonesian Movie AwardsBest On-Screen DuoDonny Damara
Raihaanun
2012Indonesian Movie AwardsPeople's Choice Award for Favorite ActorDonny Damara
2012Indonesian Movie AwardsPeople's Choice Award for Favorite ActressRaihaanun
2012Citra Awards of Indonesian Film FestivalBest FilmLovely Man
2012Citra Awards of Indonesian Film FestivalBest DirectorTeddy Soeriaatmadja
2012Citra Awards of Indonesian Film FestivalBest ActorDonny Damara
2012Citra Awards of Indonesian Film FestivalBest ScreenplayTeddy Soeriaatmadja
2012Citra Awards of Indonesian Film FestivalBest EditingWahyu Ichandiardono
2012Citra Awards of Indonesian Film FestivalBest Art DirectionRichard Sibuea
2012Citra Awards of Indonesian Film FestivalBest Original StoryTeddy Soeriaatmadja
2012Maya AwardsBest Feature FilmLovely Man
2012Maya AwardsBest DirectorTeddy Soeriaatmadja
2012Maya AwardsBest Actor in a Leading RoleDonny Damara
2012Maya AwardsBest Actress in a Leading RoleRaihaanun
2012Maya AwardsBest ScreenplayTeddy Soeriaatmadja
2012Maya AwardsBest Costume DesignVe Verdinand
2012Maya AwardsBest Makeup & HairstylingEbba Syeba
2012Maya AwardsBest Sound DesignKhikmawan Santosa