Gunawan Wahab: Chasing Dream to Hollywood

When he was 16, Gunawan Wahab found his love for movie making as an outlet where he can pour his heart and his mind out using the interplay of audio and visual media. Since then, he has chased his dream from his hometown, Medan, to Singapore, Netherland, and finally New York, where he was enrolled as a student in the prestigious New York Film Academy.

Now, at 23, he is starting to make his mark in Hollywood as the executive producer of an upcoming movie titled ‘Acting Accountable’. The movie, which is scheduled to be released internationally in 2015, centres around Sun Si, an Indonesian girl who was given the opportunity to live the “American dream”. The movie finds Wahab working alongside Tania Gunadi, a fellow Indonesian who plays the lead role, as well as Michael Chandler, a writer, producer, and actor with extensive Hollywood credentials, like Independence Day and The Patriot.

Global Indonesian Voices recently chatted with Wahab about working in Hollywood, the messages in his works, and the state of the movie industry back home.

GIV: What first drew you into movie-making?

Gunawan Wahab: I started to learn film-making when I was in high school. I received a short-course scholarship to one of the film institutes in Medan. I found that I really enjoyed it and fell in love with the film-making world.

I wrote, produced, and directed my first short film in 2007, using a beginner handy-cam and a budget of Rp. 200,000. After finishing it, I said to myself that one day I will go to Hollywood and produce a feature-length film and that dream has finally come true. I am currently working on a Hollywood feature-length film as an executive producer in Los Angeles.

I love film-making so much because I feel that I can use it to visualize and to share my ideas, thoughts, and imaginations; I can communicate inspiring messages to many people and touch that hearts.

Is there any particular movie/ director that inspired you?

I like “Mengejar Matahari”, which I think is a very inspiring movie with lots of wisdom about friendship. I also like “Letters to God”, which is about a family with a cancer-stricken child who often writes letters to God to share his thoughts and wishes. It is a touching and inspiring film about the warmth and love of a family.

For director, I would say that I like Steven Spielberg. His pieces are awesome. He is really one of the best film directors who has created many masterpieces.

What is the overarching message that you want to deliver in your movies?

I want to communicate a message about the meaning of life to the audiences, to inspire them and touch their hearts. For me, film is not only an entertainment. Film can also educate and inspire and we can learn a lot from it. Any writers and directors always have a message that they want to communicate to the audience.

For example, the movie “Mr. Bean’s Holiday”, which was directed by Steve Bendelack. Despite being a comedy drama, the movie also contains a deeper wisdom, teaching us to never give up and stop trying. “Life of Pi” reminds us to not be afraid of whatever obstacles we face in life. I would like to make films like these, one with a very deep meaning and inspiration. I would also like to promote Indonesia to the international community through my films.

What message do you hope to deliver in ‘Acting Accountable’?

As the executive producer, I hope the audience can be touched and inspired by the meaning behind the film. I also hope that the audience can see the beauty of Indonesia as the movie will be filmed both in the US and Indonesia.

As a newcomer who is also a foreigner, what is the greatest challenge that you face in working with the more established figures in Hollywood?

As a newcomer in the Hollywood film industry, I realize that I have some very serious challenges to face. I need to build my reputation and to compete with so many well-known filmmakers.

The most difficult part, for me, is to convince the production houses. They usually prefer to look for producers who already have good track records. I have to work harder to prove my abilities as a film producer. Despite of the difficulties, I always point out to myself that one day I must succeed and I believe that I will manage to build my name in the international stage and make my country proud.

What’s your opinion on Indonesia’s movie industry?

I find that the industry is starting to develop. The human resources and technology are developing. In the last one year, it has started to produce good quality movies, better than the previous years, though not without weaknesses. One of the weaknesses is the story line, which I think lacks uniqueness. Things have definitely gotten better, some Indonesian movies, like ‘The Raid ‘ and ‘Habibie & Ainun‘, have managed to snatch international awards and were screened in many overseas theatres.