Reza Rahadian Remembers 20 Years of Career Through 'Refleksi Dua Dasarasa': From Book Release to Film Directorial Debut 'PANGKU'

Kapanlagi.com - For the next eight months in 2025, Reza Rahadian will present various programs to commemorate his 20-year journey in the Indonesian film industry. This program is named Refleksi Dua Dasarasa and was officially launched on Monday, April 28, 2025, at Bentara Budaya Jakarta.

During the launch event, a number of people who contributed behind the scenes were present as representatives of each program offered. These programs include the release of the reflection book Mereka yang Pertama, the organization of the art installation exhibition Eudaimonia at the upcoming ArtJog 2025, Reza Rahadian's directorial debut film PANGKU, collaborations with Jakarta Film Week 2025 and Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2025, as well as a monologue presentation Dua Dasarasa at the end of the series.

"Refleksi Dua Dasarasa is a moment that I want to share with friends as a form of reflection (and) contemplation during my journey of approximately 20 years (as an actor). Many say that this journey is still very short, but for me, it feels quite long and there are many stories within it that I also want to share with all of you." Reza Rahadian expressed.

1. Launch of the Book 'Those Who Came First'

Reza Rahadian officially launched the Reflections of Two Basic Senses program. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

As an actor who has been building a career for two decades, the 38-year-old actor stated that many people have given him the opportunity to enter the acting world. The trust given by filmmakers to Reza Rahadian makes him very grateful, which encourages him to create an appreciation in the form of a book. Without them, he admits it would not have been easy to tread the path of becoming an actor.

"(This book) tells the story of those who opened the first doors: the very first casting director who opened the door for me to film, then I acted in soap operas, the first genres I was involved in—of course there are also excerpts of letters that I addressed to those individuals. Secondly, it is important to always remember that there are other roles that also provide benefits. We do not walk alone; nothing is singular—there is certainly a journey that involves others." Added the top Indonesian actor.

According to the perspective of Kompas Gramedia Group, Reza Rahadian is a figure who can influence many people to increase the reading interest of the Indonesian public. In addition, this breakthrough is also expected to encourage more actors and filmmakers to write books, thus broadening the public's view of the film industry.

"Perhaps many people who like and watch Mas Reza's (films), but maybe there are also those who have not read the book. With Mas Reza writing, (the hope is) that it can encourage people to eventually be interested in reading books." Said Andi F. Yahya as the editor.

'The First Ones' will contain things that have likely never been conveyed by Reza Rahadian through direct interviews, for example, behind-the-scenes stories of a film. Not only that, but personal stories regarding the roles of his closest people will also be present in his book along with a number of photos and other archives within it.

2. Art Installation Exhibition 'Eudaimonia' at ArtJog 2025

Reza Rahadian officially launched the Refleksi Dua Dasarasa program. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

The second idea that came from the mind of Reza Rahadian for Reflections of Two Basic Senses this year is the organization of the Eudaimonia exhibition in collaboration with ArtJog. This name is derived from Greek and is known to present an art installation that depicts the journey of emotions as well as the personal reflection of the actor in a deeply abstract manner.

According to Reza Rahadian, ArtJog is a very close place to express things that have never been showcased through his previous works. The art event is described as a series of emotional activities that can provide him with the space to realize various new expressions through their respective mediums, all unified in the same art installation.

"Eudaimonia is the journey of wisdom. I can almost never answer questions about success. However, there is one point that I think is very, very important: one of human achievements is when wisdom emerges in their personality." said Reza Rahadian during the presentation session of his second reflection project.

3. Debut as a Film Director Through 'PANGKU'

Reza Rahadian officially launched the Refleksi Dua Dasarasa program. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

Reza Rahadian revealed that he has long dreamed of becoming a director. This dream was realized through his first film project, which is targeted to be released in Q3 2025, titled PANGKU. In the production process, he collaborated with Gita Fara as one of the producers and entrusted Felix K. Nesi to write the screenplay.

Reza Rahadian's directorial debut film is known to have received the "White Light Post-Production Award" from JAFF Future Project in 2024. Another proud achievement that PANGKU has achieved is being selected as one of the five winning films of the HAF Goes to Cannes Program. This victory led to its presentation at a prestigious festival, namely the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

The actor and director of PANGKU admitted that the idea for his first film was conceived in 2018. "I just saw a set and a community life that I might have never seen before because I was shooting in a location close to that place. Then, I saw it and imagined that it would be interesting if there was a film with that kind of setting without knowing at that time what the story would be like."

4. Collaborating with Jakarta Film Week 2025 and Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2025

Reza Rahadian officially launched the Refleksi Dua Dasarasa program. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

JAFF Market is the first place for the film PANGKU and director Reza Rahadian to begin their journey. The event provides an opportunity for the first film produced by Gambar Gerak Film to shine and achieve its first award.

This year, the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival will also color the celebration of 20 years since Reza Rahadian started his career in the film industry through his upcoming collaborations. Not only JAFF Market, but another renowned film festival--Jakarta Film Week 2025 has also been invited to collaborate with him.

"Jakarta Film Week as a festival is a space of celebration where we celebrate creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Of course, this (will be) a celebration of creativity from Reza's 20-year journey, and we are very happy to be invited to collaborate. We will also try to (develop JFW) as a presentation space for works, creativity, and to place those reflections into a meeting space (that can) provide inspiration and learning for the younger generation." said Rina Damayanti, the director of Jakarta Film Week.

5. The Monologue Performance 'Dua Dasarasa' as the Closing

Reza Rahadian officially launched the Refleksi Dua Dasarasa program. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

The final presentation from Reza Rahadian is the monologue performance Dua Dasarasa. In the process of its creation, he involved a writer behind the book Barista Tanpa Nama (2018) as the scriptwriter, namely Agus Noor. This monologue brings hope that people will not only recognize him as an actor appearing in a film, but also as a human being and a socio-political activist.

Dua Dasarasa is likely to present the feelings, inner struggles, achievements in his career, and the lifestyle habits of Reza Rahadian that are unknown to the public. Agus Noor also imagines what it would be like if the characters played by the actor in a series of his films were to meet each other on stage.

"The loneliness of an actor lies when he is being (a character in a film). His left and right are always left behind: he is always leaving himself, transforming. Those spaces may also be represented in this monologue." said the actor who played B. J. Habibie in the biographical film HABIBIE & AINUN .

6. A Brief Overview of Reza Rahadian

Reza Rahadian officially launched the program Refleksi Dua Dasarasa. (credit: instagram.com/officialpilarez)

Reza Rahadian is an Indonesian actor known as the "man of a thousand faces" who was born on March 5, 1987, in Bogor, West Java. The actor, whose real name is Reza Rahadian Matulessy, began his career in the entertainment industry at the age of 17. His appearance as one of the participants in the Top Guest event of Yess! magazine in 2004 opened the door for him into the world of acting in the country.

Throughout his 20-year career, Reza Rahadian has starred in many films, television series, and various other forms of shows. HORROR FILM (2007) is the title of his debut feature film. However, he gained significant fame through the film directed by Hanung Bramantyo, titled THE GIRL WITH A SCARF (2009). Other popular Indonesian films he starred in include HABIBIE & AINUN (2012), MY STUPID BOSS (2016), and THE BROKEN KITE (2023).

Recently, the actor has begun his journey as a director with the film PANGKU and is now spreading his wings towards the 2025 Cannes Film Festival while also competing in the Far East Film Festival 2025. The film is scheduled to be released this year, specifically in the upcoming third quarter.

(kpl/rtr)