Top female creators and talent from Netflix’s Southeast Asian titles gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday to discuss the importance of on-screen representation at Netflix’s Reflections of Me event to celebrate International Women’s Month.
Over 200 attendees from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam including press, influencers and film communities attended the event either in person or virtually.
The panel, moderated by Indonesian actress Marissa Anita (Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens), featured a number of speakers who shared their experiences as women in the industry and their journeys in reflecting on powerful, authentic female characters on screen.
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From authentic characters to systemic change: women in Southeast Asia’s entertainment industry are speaking out
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March 17, 2023
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Top female creators and talent from Netflix’s Southeast Asian titles gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday to discuss the importance of on-screen representation at Netflix’s Reflections of Me event to celebrate International Women’s Month.
Over 200 attendees from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam including press, influencers and film communities attended the event either in person or virtually.
The panel, moderated by Indonesian actress Marissa Anita (Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens), featured a number of speakers who shared their experiences as women in the industry and their journeys in reflecting on powerful, authentic female characters on screen.
From left: Panelists Marla Ancheta, Manatsanun “Donut” Phanlerdwongsakul, Kamila Andini, Eirene Tran Donohue, Anupama Chopra and moderator Marissa Anita open the panel discussion.
Filmmaker Kamila Andini (Gadis Kretek) reflected on the challenges of bringing authentic female characters to life.
“Women are expected to be something all the time, to be the perfect mother or wife, to live our lives for the benefit of others, to be what others want us to be,” she said. “But I understand how difficult it is trying to be brave enough to make decisions for ourselves. That’s why my characters are never black or white – they have weaknesses but also great qualities.”
Vietnamese-Irish screenwriter Eirene Tran Donohue (A Tourist Guide to Love) echoed Andini’s views, emphasizing the need to “embrace the complexity that exists in women and give it a voice, to simultaneously be all versions of ourselves.” .
They also discussed the impact of having more women in front of and behind the camera. Indian film critic Anupama Chopra believes that talking about representation and storytelling can ultimately influence what is seen on screen.
And that conversation needs to start as early as the writing stage. Thai actress Manatsanun “Donut” Phanlerdwongsakul (Thai Cave Rescue) pointed out that Asian female characters in films or on television tend to be typecast as conservative mothers or daughters who rebel against their families. It’s important that the film’s producer and writer “decide that we can play more roles, not just stereotypes,” she explained.
Sakdiyah Ma’ruf, an Indonesian poet and comedian, shared her perspective on the importance of representation on screen through a highly emotional spoken word performance.
Despite the recognition and success of women in mainstream media, Filipino director Marla Archeta (Doll House) pointed to the challenges that come with higher expectations of female content creators. “We need to create better content and be more aware of the prejudices people have towards us so that we can better represent our culture,” she said.
This event aims to honor inspiring women in front of and behind the camera and to celebrate diverse storytelling by, for and about women.
“At Netflix, we believe that great stories can come from anywhere, and the biggest impact is creating empathy and understanding through the stories we tell,” said Amy Kunrojpanya, vice president, public relations at Netflix – Asia- Pacific. “More people deserve to see their lives on screen and we want to empower our viewers’ experiences when they are reflected in our stories.”
