Faizal Lubis Reveals His 20-Year Journey to the Birth of the Musical Film 'WHO IS HE'

kapanlagi 3 days ago

Kapanlagi.com - Behind the grandeur of the musical film WHO IS HE by Garin Nugroho, there is the skilled hand of musician and producer Faizal Lubis. Not only working on the music, Faizal also took on a full role as a producer so that this film, which has been planned for two decades, can be realized ideally.

"In early 2022, Mas Garin called me to talk about making a film, and I finally understood, wow, this is the film we planned 20 years ago," Faizal revealed when met in South Jakarta on Thursday (4/9).

For Faizal, the decision to take on the production and music responsibilities himself is not a light matter. However, he believes that artistic works should be given full space without interference from many parties.

"I used to work in advertising, and I have been in a production house too. If there are three heads in business, we definitely won't have the freedom. That's why I told Mas Garin, I'll cover the costs. So Mas Garin can have the freedom. So this is our project together," he asserted.

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1. Big Challenges in Song Curation

In his creative process, Faizal faces big challenges when curating songs. Out of more than 30 songs considered, only 19 could be included in the film. Legal factors related to copyright and suitability with the storyline are the main considerations.

"Our problem sometimes is that we can't find the copyright holders for certain songs. So in the end, we settled on 19 songs," he explained.

2. A Big Vision for Arrangements

For the arrangements, Faizal has a big vision. He wants each classical piece to present a new face without losing its essence.

"Talking about the overall arrangement of the songs, I want it to be grand but fresh. If we talk about Payung Fantasi and the concept is still the old one, it's the same. I want this to be new, and the performers should also be new people," he said.

The recording process even took him to Prague, where he had to face orchestra musicians who could not speak English, requiring creative communication throughout the process.

3. The Most Complicated Song

Although the challenges are immense, Faizal admits that it is precisely this aspect that makes SIAPA DIA feel special. Some songs even underwent drastic changes along the way, such as Payung Fantasi which was suddenly transformed into a Broadway big band style.

"It can almost be said to be the most complicated besides Anak Jalanan and Badai Pasti Berlalu," he revealed.

4. Bringing the Film to the Theater Stage

Furthermore, Faizal does not rule out the possibility of bringing SIAPA DIA to the theater stage. His experience watching opera in London made him dream of presenting a stage version of this musical film.

"Just yesterday I was talking about it, I think I want to create an opera film of Siapa Dia, but I don’t know when. My dream is to create one theater, with three shows a week and just keep going like that," he said.

5. A More Mature Collaboration

The long collaboration between Faizal Lubis and Garin Nugroho has been established since 2016 through the project DONGENG KEBANGSAAN. However, according to Faizal, the cooperation in SIAPA DIA feels more mature because Garin is now more open to compromise.

"In the film SIAPA DIA, Mas Garin's idealism can be said to have disappeared, what remains is his characteristic. It means making peace with the situation and compromise," Faizal said.

6. Showing in Theaters

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Now, SIAPA DIA, which features 19 classic and new songs wrapped in contemporary arrangements, is officially showing in theaters across Indonesia. For Faizal, this film is not just a project, but a manifestation of a long journey full of idealism, compromise, and love for Indonesian music.

"I want what is shown to be perfect. That's why it was only released this year," he concluded.