Christine Hakim

Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim (born 25 December 1956) is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist.

Born to a devout Muslim family of mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psychologist.

This changed after she was discovered by Teguh Karya for his 1973 movie Cinta Pertama, a role which garnered her a Citra Award for Best Actress and convinced her to follow a career in acting.

Since then, she has starred in numerous films, including 1977's Badai Pasti Berlalu and 1988's Tjoet Nja' Dhien; she also had a minor role in the 2010 Hollywood movie Eat Pray Love.

Hakim began branching out from acting in 1998, beginning with roles as producer of Daun di Atas Bantal and Pasir Berbisik and eventually spreading to documentary filmmaking and being an activist for education and autism.

[1][2] She is of mixed descent, with her relatives coming from Padang, Aceh, Banten, Pekalongan, Madiun, and the Middle East; this caused her to question her identity as a child and teenager.

[4] In 2023, Hakim revealed that her given name was after a German missionary physician who helped her mother give birth to her in a remote area of Jambi.

[9] Hakim screened her first work as a producer, Daun di Atas Bantal (Leaf on a Pillow) during Un Certain Regard at Cannes ten years later.

[4] When producing the film, she chose young director Garin Nugroho, whom she perceived to be highly talented; she also took the leading role.

Arriving in Bali three days before shooting, she found herself rushed to read the script, be fitted, and rid herself of her green hair.

[13] In 2020, Hakim won the Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Joko Anwar's horror film Impetigore.

She has urged the government to eliminate misconceptions regarding autism, calling the refusal to accept autistic students in public schools "a violation of human rights".

Hakim signing autographs at the 1982 Indonesian Film Festival