Autobiography (film)

2022 thriller drama film

Autobiography

Promotional release poster

Directed by| Makbul Mubarak [id]
Written by| Makbul Mubarak [id]
Produced by| Yulia Evina Bhara
Starring|

* Kevin Ardilova
* Arswendy Bening Swara

Cinematography| Wojciech Staroń
Edited by| Carlo Francisco Manatad
Music by| Bani Haykal

Production
company

KawanKawan Media

Distributed by|

* Alpha Violet
* Amazon Prime Video (Southeast Asia)

Release dates

* 2 September 2022 (2022-09-02) (Venice)
* 19 January 2023 (2023-01-19) (Indonesia)

Running time

| 115 minutes
Country| Indonesia
Language| Indonesian
Budget| $362,932[1]

Autobiography is a 2022 Indonesian thriller drama film written and directed by Makbul Mubarak [id] in his directorial debut. It stars Kevin Ardilova and Arswendy Bening Swara. The film had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival during the Horizons program on September 2, 2022, where it won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Film in sections other than the main competition. Autobiography won the sole award in Best Original Screenplay category among other seven nominations at the 2022 Indonesian Film Festival. The film was selected as the Indonesian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

## Plot

[edit]

The film follows Rakib (Kevin Ardilova), who serves as a housekeeper and assistant to a retired general, Purnawinata (Arswendy Bening Swara), who runs an election campaign to be a regent.

## Cast

[edit]

* Kevin Ardilova as Rakib
* Arswendy Bening Swara as Purnawinata
* Yusuf Mahardika as Agus
* Lukman Sardi as Soewito
* Yudi Ahmad Tajudin as Nala
* Rukman Rosadi as Amir
* Haru Sandra as Andra
* Gunawan Maryanto as a construction worker

## Production

[edit]

Mubarak proposed the first draft of the script of Autobiography to Bhara in 2017.[2] The project was selected as a part of the TorinoFilmLab in 2017 and 2018 Ties That Bind.[3][4]

The principal photography took place in Bojonegoro, East Java, Indonesia.[5]

## Release

[edit]

Alpha Violet acquired worldwide sales rights to the film in July 2022.[6]

Autobiography had its world premiere during the Horizons program at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2022.[7] Its North American premiere was at the Contemporary World Cinema at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022,.[8] The film had its Asian premiere during the A Window on Asian Cinema at the 27th Busan International Film Festival on 7 October 2022.[9][10] Autobiography was also screened at the Adelaide Film Festival on 22 October 2022.[11] It was theatrically released in Indonesia on 19 January 2023 and garnered 33,407 admissions during its run.

Autobiography was distributed by Amazon Prime Video in the Southeast Asia region on 13 April 2023.[12]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10.[13]

### Accolades

[edit]

Awards and Nominations for Autobiography Award  | Date of ceremony  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Venice Film Festival | 10 September 2022 | FIPRESCI Award | Makbul Mubarak  | Won  | [14]
11 September 2022 | Orizzonti Award for Best Film | Nominated
Adelaide Film Festival | 25 October 2022  | Feature Fiction Award | Won  | [15]
Tokyo Filmex | 5 November 2022  | Grand Prize  | Won  | [16]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 11 November 2022 | Best Screenplay | Won  | [17]
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards | 16 November 2022 | NETPAC Award | Autobiography | Won  | [18]
Observation Missions for Asian Cinema Award  | Autobiography | Won
Stockholm International Film Festival | 19 November 2022  | Bronze Horse for Best Film  | Makbul Mubarak  | Nominated  | [19]
Best Debut  | Won
Marrakech International Film Festival | 19 November 2022  | Best Feature Film  | Makbul Mubarak  | Nominated  | [20]
Best Performance by an Actor  | Arswendy Bening Swara | Won
Indonesian Film Festival | 22 November 2022 | Best Picture | Yulia Evina Bhara | Nominated  | [21]
Best Director | Makbul Mubarak  | Nominated
Best Actor | Kevin Ardilova  | Nominated
Best Supporting Actor | Arswendy Bening Swara  | Nominated
Best Original Screenplay  | Makbul Mubarak  | Won
Best Sound  | L.H. Aim Adinegara and Hadrianus Eko  | Nominated
Best Original Song  | Sal Priadi for "Ambilkan Bintang"  | Nominated
QCinema International Film Festival | 23 November 2022  | Best Film  | Makbul Mubarak  | Won  | [22]
Best Director  | Won
Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival | 3 December 2022 | Golden Hanoman Award  | Autobiography | Won  | [23]
Singapore International Film Festival | 4 December 2022  | Silver Screen Award for Asian Feature Film  | Makbul Mubarak  | Won  | [24]
World Film Festival of Bangkok | 12 December 2022  | Lotus Awards for Best Film  | Makbul Mubarak  | Nominated  | [25]
Jury Prize of Technical Achievement  | Carlo Francisco Manatad  | Won
Wojciech Staroń  | Won
Film Pilihan Tempo | 18 December 2022 | Film Pilihan Tempo  | Yulia Evina Bhara  | Won  | [26]
Best Screenplay  | Makbul Mubarak  | Nominated
Best Director  | Nominated
Best Actor  | Kevin Ardilova  | Won
Best Supporting Actor  | Arswendy Bening Swara  | Won
Rukman Rosadi  | Nominated
Hainan International Film Festival | 24 December 2022  | Best Film - Asian New Director  | Autobiography | Won  | [27]
Asian Film Awards | 12 March 2023 | Best New Director  | Makbul Mubarak  | Nominated  | [28]
Best Screenplay  | Nominated
CinemAsia Film Festival | 13 March 2023  | Jury Special Mention  | Autobiography | Won  | [29]
Malaysia International Film Festival | 29 July 2023  | Best Film  | Autobiography | Won  | [30]
Best Director  | Makbul Mubarak  | Won
Best Screenplay  | Won
Best Actor  | Kevin Ardilova  | Nominated
Best Supporting Actor  | Arswendy Bening Swara  | Won
Best Cinematography  | Wojciech Staroń  | Won

## See also

[edit]

* List of submissions to the 96th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
* List of Indonesian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Autobiography". Southeast Asia Fiction Film Lab. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
2. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2 September 2022). "Morality Thriller 'Autobiography' Examines Effects of Military Dictatorship on Indonesian Youth – Venice". Variety. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
3. ^ Siregar, Lisa (23 May 2017). "Two Indonesian Filmmakers Will Participate in Prestigious Torino Film Lab". Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
4. ^ "Ties That Bind 2018". European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
5. ^ Dienfitri, Annisa (31 August 2022). "'Kayak Sebuah Keajaiban' Cerita Kevin Ardilova Syuting Film 'Autobiography' di Bojonegoro, Takjub Ditonton Masyarakat Lokal sampai Gelar Tikar!". Grid.id. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
6. ^ Dalton, Ben (26 July 2022). "Alpha Violet boards Venice Horizons selection 'Autobiography' (exclusive)". Screen International. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
7. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (27 July 2022). "Venice 2022 Lineup: 'Blonde,' 'Bardo,' 'The Whale,' 'Eternal Daughter,' and More". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
8. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (17 August 2022). "TIFF Unveils Contemporary World Cinema Lineup: 'Aftersun,' 'EO' Among Toronto Premieres". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
9. ^ "Busan International Film Festival". Busan International Film Festival (in Korean). Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
10. ^ Noh, Jean (7 September 2022). "Busan film festival to open with Iran's 'Scent Of Wind', Tony Leung to receive honour". Screen International. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
11. ^ "Autobiography". Adelaide Film Festival. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
12. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (13 March 2023). "Venice Winner 'Autobiography' Snapped Up by Prime Video (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
13. ^ "Autobiography (Drama 2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
14. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (10 September 2022). "The 79th Venice Film Festival announces the winners of its parallel awards". Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
15. ^ "AFF22 Feature Fiction and Feature Documentary Award Winners Announced". Adelaide Film Festival. 25 October 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
16. ^ Fathurrozak (8 November 2022). "Film Autobiography Raih Penghargaan Utama di Tokyo Filmex 2022". Media Indonesia. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
17. ^ Frater, Patrick (12 October 2022). "Kamila Andini's 'Before Now and Then' Heads APSA Award Nominations, New Zealand's 'Muru' Collects Diversity Prize". Variety. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
18. ^ "《獨裁的豢養》榮獲奈派克獎 2022金馬電影學院成果放映". Yahoo! (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
19. ^ Frost, Caroline (19 November 2022). "'Holy Spider' Leads Prize List At Stockholm Film Festival; Other Winners Include Frances O'Connor And Laura Poitras". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
20. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (19 November 2022). "Iranian Drama 'A Tale of Shemroon' Scoops Top Prize At Marrakech". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
21. ^ Mario, Vincentius (24 October 2022). Kistyarini (ed.). "Daftar Lengkap Nominasi Festival Film Indonesia 2022" [Complete list of 2022 Indonesian Film Festival nominations]. Kompas. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
22. ^ "Autobiography, BOLD EAGLE big winners in QCinema 2022 Pylon Awards". Manila Bulletin. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
23. ^ Wong, Silvia (6 December 2022). "'Autobiography', 'The Exiles' win top prizes at Indonesia's Jogja-NETPAC film festival". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
24. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (4 December 2022). "'Autobiography' Wins Top Prize at Singapore Silver Screen Awards, Laha Mebow Wins Best Director for 'Gaga'". Variety. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
25. ^ Ajanapanya, Nongluck (12 December 2022). "15th World Film Festival of Bangkok wraps up with Apichatpong bagging Victor Award". The Nation. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
26. ^ Yuliastuti, Dian (18 December 2022). "Pengumuman Pemenang Film Pilihan Tempo 2022: Autobiography, Film Pilihan Tempo 2022". Tempo. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
27. ^ Shackleton, Liz (19 December 2022). "China's Hainan Island International Film Festival Returns As In-Person Event; Competition Titles Include 'Aftersun', 'Saint Omer', 'The Beasts'". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
28. ^ Rosser, Michael (6 January 2023). "'Decision To Leave' leads Asian Film Awards nominations". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
29. ^ "Cinemasia Film Festival 2023 Announces Award Winners". cinemasia. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
30. ^ Ikram, Amy (29 July 2023). "MIFFEST 2023 Awards at Zepp Kuala Lumpur". Wajib Tonton. Retrieved 13 September 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Autobiography at IMDb
* Autobiography at Rotten Tomatoes

* v
* t
* e

Indonesian submission for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

* Nagabonar (1987)
* Tjoet Nja' Dhien (1989)
* My Sky, My Home (1990)
* Mer's Lips (1992)
* Daun di Atas Bantal (1998)
* Sri (1999)
* Ca-bau-kan (2002)
* Biola Tak Berdawai (2003)
* Gie (2004)
* Mother of Mine (2005)
* Love for Share (2006)
* Denias, Senandung Di Atas Awan (2007)
* Jamila dan Sang Presiden (2009)
* How Funny (This Country Is) (2010)
* Under the Protection of Ka'Bah (2011)
* The Dancer (2012)
* The Clerics (2013)
* Soekarno (2014)
* Letters from Prague (2016)
* Leftovers (2017)
* Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2018)
* Memories of My Body (2019)
* Impetigore (2020)
* Yuni (2021)
* Missing Home (2022)
* Autobiography (2023)
* Women from Rote Island (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Film

* Black Republic (1991)
* Life on a String (1992)
* Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring (1993)
* Seopyeonje (1994)
* Vive l'amour (1995)
* Cardiogram (1996)
* Gabbeh (1997)
* Children of Heaven (1998)
* The Hole (1999)
* Darkness and Light (2000)
* Eureka (2001)
* Batang West Side (2002)
* The Best of Times (2003)
* Uzak (2004)
* Underexposure (2005)
* It's Only Talk (2006)
* Opera Jawa (2007)
* Slingshot (2008)
* Laila’s Birthday (2009)
* Sex Volunteer (2010)
* Buddha Mountain (2011)
* Court (2014)
* The Fourth Direction (2015)
* White Sun (2016)
* Disappearance (2017)
* A Land Imagined (2018)
* Scales (2019)
* Milestone (2020)
* Hit the Road (2021)
* Autobiography (2022)
* Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023)
* Mongrel (2024)

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