— What is it that draw you to thinking of remaking Satan’s Slaves (Pengabdi Setan)? Was the original film a favorite of yours?
The original was my childhood favorite. I saw it the first time when I was 7 years old, through the ventilation window of a film theater. Then I watched it again with buying ticket. I thought it was awesome and scary. Horror genre has a special place in my heart and I was always wanting to do a full horror movie. I think Satan’s Slaves would be a good place to start making one.
— How did you approach the process of the remake? What were the elements that you wanted to preserve and the ones that you felt needed an update?
I have been trying to persuade the producers of the original movie to allow me to reboot it. I had been asking for years until finally they said ok. I knew I had to update the story and the scare elements to meet today’s sensibilities. The original was fun but severely dated (it includes a character fighting off demons with a pillow.) But the atmosphere of the original holds up until today. So I recreated the dreading atmosphere for the new version. I also decided not to do an actual remake because the story in the original was too simplistic. So I decided to rebuild the universe of the story.
— How did you select your cast? In particular, here, you worked for the first time in one of your features with Malaysian actor Bront Palarae. Did you think of a specific crossover potential to the neighboring Malaysian market?
All cast were picked after doing screen test, except Bront Palarae. I have auditioned some 50 actors for the role but couldn’t find the right one. At that moment, I was asking Bront if he knew anyone from Malaysia who could be cast as a 50 year old dad (Bront was 34 at that time). But we couldn’t find anyone, from any country. So I finally asked Bront to play as the father. The make-up job to make him a lot older worked and he is a fantastic actor so he could pull it off.
— Although horror films have always been a main staple of Indonesian cinema, in recent years their commercial relevance has been shrinking. Satan’s Slaves relaunched the genre to a height it never claimed before. What is it, in your opinion, that determined such huge success? And do you think this triumph will mark a comeback for horror?
I think the audience fell in love with the characters. We got an excellent line-up of cast. Even the ghost character has become a beloved icon. And I also think Indonesian audience love horror and they had been waiting for a horror movie that is done properly. So yeah we’re lucky.
— After the critical and box office success of Satan’s Slaves, how do you see your standing within the Indonesian film industry? Do you feel you will have a more comfortable position in planning your future projects? What are the options you are poising for your next features?
Honestly it doesn’t change the way I see filmmaking and my craft. I will continue telling stories I think interesting. Sometimes I tell stories to make a statement, sometimes to ask questions, sometimes simply to entertain. It seems easier now to get green light on projects. But the hard work making it will always be there waiting [laughs].
Paolo Bertolin