LOVE AT FIRST FRIGHT
THE Indonesian horror film which is currently playing in cinemas, is a fresh take on the 2001-released
both directed by Rizal Mantovani and Jose Poernomo.
Starring young Indonesian talents Amanda Rawles, 16, and Jefri Nichol, 18, the new film follows the journey of Bella who fights hard to uncover the mystery behind the events that led to her father falling into a coma.
Bella (played by Rawles) and friend Rama (Nichol) work together to uncover the place where Bella’s father is found. This leads them to a house with a Jailangkung.
The artefact, a doll-like figure made out of a coconut shell and wood, is an ancient part of Indonesia’s mystical heritage.
The chanting of specific mantras is utilised to call upon spirits to inhabit the wooden doll.
In the film, all hell breaks loose when the Jailangkung, as an evil spirit, starts to haunt them.
So what made the two young talents take on this scary challenge? “I’m the ultimate scaredy-cat. I sleep with the light on.
“So when family and friends found out that I’d be acting in a horror movie, they just couldn’t believe it,” says Rawles with a laugh.
She explains that she just wanted to show fans she was capable of doing something different.
“I like the fact that it required me to get down and dirty, and step out of my comfort zone,” says Rawles of her first role in a horror film.
“Prior to this, I’ve always landed roles in romcom series, where I had to look pretty and charming. This film gave me the chance to widen my range as an actress,” she adds.
As for Nichol, he was more than happy to be acting in a movie directed by Mantovani and Poernomo. “It was an honour and an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” he says.
The two actors may be young but they’re not exactly newcomers.
Rawles have been acting since 11 and Nichol since he was 13.
Although they didn’t have any supernatural encounters, filming at isolated locations, graveyards and deep in the woods was certainly spooky.
“Filming a horror film requires lots of stamina, since it takes lots of energy to be scared, to run around and to get into character,” says Rawles.
She relates one scene shot in a graveyard from 6pm until 3am. Shot with a drone camera, there was no one with them on the grounds.
“It was just me and Nichol running around the graveyard. I think that was the scariest scene for me,” says Rawles.
Nichol adds that he felt pretty scared during the chanting of the original mantra scene.
“Thankfully, nothing creepy happened. We had an ustaz on set to ensure we were fine. I think that after shooting this film, my belief towards the supernatural is definitely stronger,” he says.