Sugiharti Halim
by Ariani Dharmawan
Indonesia, 2008
synopsis
What’s in a name? For Sugiharti Halim, though, a name can lead to a never-ending question. At times funny, annoying, and contradictory: Does one really need a “real” name? Can you sell your name? Is it true that you can hide your identity behind a name? Sugiharti Halim offers a perspective that is comical, provocative, contextual, and deserving to be re-examined today.
about the director
Ariani Darmawan is a video artist, filmmaker, and writer. Her body of work includes short film, documentary, video installation, multimedia theater. She also runs Kineruku bookstore and library, which she founded in Bandung in 2003. She completed her undergraduate studies in architectural engineering at Parahyangan Catholic University and her master’s degree in fine arts at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Weaving together the logic of architecture with the emotional resonance of fine art, she found her voice in storytelling through moving pictures. Her early works revolved around themes of power and identity. Her documentary film, Dragons Beget Dragons (2006), explores the theme of acculturation of Chinese-Betawi culture in gambang kromong music. Her short film, Sugiharti Halim (2008), won both Best Short Film and Audience Award at the 2008 Konfiden Film Festival, and was also in competition at the 2009 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France. After an 11-year hiatus, she returned to filmmaking with the short film A Sip and A Bite (2022). She is currently preparing her first feature film.