Ida Farida


Ida Farida is an Indonesian director, screenwriter, and journalist. She is the sister of director Misbach Yusa Biran, and is the last surviving of the six Indonesian women directors before 1998.

Early life

Farida was born on 5 May 1939 in Rangkasbitung, Lebak Regency, as the second daughter and youngest child of Jusa Biran. Her father was a journalist of Minangkabau descent who faced exile during the Dutch colonial period, while her mother was from Rangkasbitung. Her brother, Misbach Yusa Biran, was a director who often gave her a novel from a foreign country.
Farida spent her childhood in Rangkasbitung, and has had completed middle high school education. She then moved to Bogor, Bandung, and Jakarta, and later began to publish a short story for make money.

Personal life

Farida had three children.

Career

Farida started her career by working as a story writer from 1953, where she published her first short story, Surat Terakhir, in Pusparagam magazine. She was most productive from 1958 to 1959, where she published many short story to pay for her school.

Legacy

Only six female directors appeared in Indonesian cinema until 1998; aside from Farida, these women directors were Ratna Asmara, Roostijati, Sofia W.D., Chitra Dewi, and Rima Melati. Of these, all except Farida had previous experience as actresses. These directors rarely, if ever, received the same recognition as their male counterparts, and acting remained the only way for a woman in the industry to gain recognition.

Works cited

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