Mouly Surya was born in Jakarta, where she currently lives. She is considered one of the most promising filmmakers in Indonesia. Her debut film, “Fiksi.” won numerous awards including Best Director at JIFFEST 2008. Her next film, “What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love,” screened at various international film festivals including Sundance.

“Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” will premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

MS: It’s a celebration of women’s power told through a story of survival. It follows an Indonesian widow in the rural area of Sumba. She’s carrying the chopped head of her rapist and on her way to redemption. The story is served in a Western genre platter, which gives Indonesian film, or even South East Asian film, a totally new feel.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

MS: I first heard about this story from Indonesian director Garin Nugroho. The first image that came into my head was of this woman sitting in a bus with the chopped head of her rapist in between her legs as if it is going down on her. We didn’t use the image in the final film, but somehow it is the one that attracted me to the project.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

MS: I just hope they will laugh with their friends with Marlina-inspired jokes. Because when we filmed it, that’s what we did.

But it is really up to the audience to decide what they want to think about.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

MS: It was a tough film to make with many challenges. It was the first time I shot a film outside of my hometown, Jakarta — we went all the way to the eastern part of Indonesia — and it was also the first time I did a non-urban film. I also used a lot of VFX which I’ve never done before.

What was surprisingly quite challenging was to edit the film. It doesn’t have any camera movement and thus how it was cut served a greater importance.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

MS: Aside from the private equity from Indonesia and Malaysia, the film was also selected for funding from Japan (Next Master Support Program from Tokyo Filmex International Film Festival), Cinema du monde from France, and Purin Pictures in Thailand.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at the Toronto International Film Festival?

MS: I’ve never been to Toronto or Canada. I’ve heard a lot of great things about the festival and the country and I am very excited to see it for myself.

It will be our North American premiere and honestly, as the film is a Western, I think it has a special meaning to me for the film to be shown in North America.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

MS: The best advice came from female lecturer in my film school. She told me that I should focus on pursuing directing in my next semester rather than what I did that semester which was to help my other friends make their own projects. She said that there are so few female directors so we had to fight harder and be much more selfish.

The worst advice came early in my career. A senior filmmaker told me that I had to choose between making art-house or commercial projects. I don’t think most filmmakers get to choose — it is kind of like being chosen for them naturally because of their own personality and insights, and both can be either good or bad.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

MS: First and foremost they are directors, not female directors or male directors but directors. Filmmaking is not like the Olympics — or toilets — where they need to put us in different section.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

MS: “Abuse of Weakness,” directed by Catherine Breillat.

I saw it at a film festival in Taiwan and it really touched me in a very personal way.

W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic

MS: In my opinion, one of the causes of the low number of women who direct films — especially bigger budget films — is because of how we are brought up at home. It takes a lot of confidence to direct a film; it is like putting your own self out there. For men, most of them were brought up as breadwinners whilst the women were brought up as homemakers.

In Indonesia they used to divide us in Junior High in a special subject. The boys learn in typewriting class whilst the girls learn in a cooking class. A family believes when they are educating a boy that he will be the head of the family.

Of course, I don’t mean to generalize as it is different from one boy or girl to the next, and from one family to the other. But still — the girls have the pink toys and the boys have the blue toys and filmmaking is a blue toy.

I am a pessimist because I believe when we are being pessimistic we will work harder to achieve our goals.