Mouly Surya

Mouly Surya.

Mouly Surya is an Indonesian film-maker, known for her films Fiksi (2008), What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love (2013) and Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017). Her films have been nominated for awards in Indonesia, Europe, and the United States.

Ms Surya has said that she decided to become a film-maker while she was studying in Australia. 

‘For my Bachelor’s degree I studied media and English literature as my majors. Because of the tight-knit Indonesian community in Australia, some friends of mine asked me to make a movie with them. That’s where I found my new passion and decided to get my Master's degree in Film.’ 

Ms Surya says her experiences in Australia helped her become a better film-maker. 

‘Honestly, I learned to be more critical in Australia – I learned how to express myself more freely. I believe that those traits have become my strengths in working in the field I’m in. Before he passed away, my father told me that he was most proud of the time I won the Citra (Indonesian Film Festival award) for my first film. For me, my pride comes from being able to continue working in the film industry and to continue to make films that fulfil my ambition and my passion and to still survive in this industry after ten years and make films that I can be proud of and take responsibility for,’ Ms Surya said.