Azhar Kinoi Lubis

Azhar Kinoi Lubis, yeah, that name's got a bit of indie cred in the Indonesian film scene. The guy’s fingerprints are all over some pretty unique projects. Take “Surat Cinta Untuk Kartini” (2016)—that one’s basically a love letter to history, smudged with a little bit of heartbreak and nostalgia. You’ve got a postman who, let’s be real, is so painfully human it hurts. He stumbles into the orbit of Kartini, a legendary figure, and boom—suddenly, the story’s tangled up in questions about love, women’s rights, and social revolution. It’s not afraid to get messy, either. The film doesn’t just sit pretty on a pedestal; it actually drags you through muddy streets and awkward silences. Then there’s “Belkibolang” (2011)—an anthology, but not the snoozy kind. It’s got the city’s pulse, all neon sweat and uncertainty, stitched into every vignette. Lubis teamed up with other directors, but his segments stand out with this weird, dreamy honesty. It’s like he knows how to mine the mundane for something kinda beautiful, you know? Urban loneliness, fleeting connections, a little bit of humor tucked into the cracks. And don’t sleep on “Cherish & Ruelle” (2023). The dude’s working with newer talents here, blending romance and melancholy in a way that doesn’t feel forced. It’s got that bittersweet aftertaste, like the end of a summer fling. Lubis never goes for the obvious. He digs deeper, lets his characters mess up, get lost, maybe even find something real. All in all, his films? Not your run-of-the-mill drama. They’re raw, a bit offbeat, and totally worth your time.