We had the good fortune of connecting with (rara) Agatha Tiara Christa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi (Rara) Agatha Tiara, what’s your definition for success?
Success is “doing the things that bring one joy, regardless of one’s situation”. Each person’s joy is different. For me, success is storytelling through animation.

Joy doesn’t necessarily mean happiness. Watching a movie can make someone happy, but watching a movie on repeat and studying it for hours could bring joy to a filmmaker or movie enthusiast. Even if they sacrifice sleep, sunlight, or human interaction, they could find joy in things that don’t always explicitly show happiness. I’m exaggerating here, but I did something similar when I was a toddler. Back then, my parents bought The Lion King VCD and played it on our small box TV. They told me I would be so focused on the story, almost nothing could distract me from it. Every time the movie approached the end, I would cry and ask to watch it again. And so, they played the movie on repeat, for several days until the disk was damaged by too much playback.

As I grew older, this passion in animated film has led me to some difficult choices. I left Indonesia right after high school, to pursue a better education and a career in art. The toughest thing about going abroad is the feeling of not knowing when I will come home again. The good things, like delicious food, hearing my first language, and my family, makes me homesick a lot. Meanwhile, the challenging things, like my grandparents being hospitalized, the 2020 pandemic, and political unrest at home, have caused me much stress while I was away. It felt like I couldn’t do anything about it. I always remind myself, however, that if I continue to pursue that success, be strong, and keep on going, I will be able to help in my own way. All these sacrifices are worth the success of me being able to do what I love today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I get most of my inspirations from visiting new places and experiencing different cultures. To me, it is peoples’ small habits that create unique stories. Growing up, my family loved to travel, although no one was able to read maps. My dad does not enjoy dealing with technology, my mom often made wrong turns, and my brother didn’t even know how to get home from school. And so, I would be the one to guide everyone to the correct destination – the family tour guide. Little did I know, this habit would give me an interest for cinematography and camera in animation. In an animated film production, the layout artists are like the tour guide of the film. They guide the audiences to experience the story through camera movements and compositions on the screen. In my works, I always think of better ways to help, not only the audience, but also animators, directors, and other fellow artists to visualize the story, especially with different cultures and representations.

Of course, talking about culture comes with risks and challenges. There is continuous conversation about the balance between representation and creative freedom. For example, I had the opportunity to co-direct Goro Goro, a short film that has many influences from Japanese culture. During production, I had many discussions with my co-director, Ryo, about how accurate we wanted things to be. Do we want the drumming sequence to be precisely accurate? Or do we want it to be more impactful, by adding almost too much weight and strength to the character? Do we want the Dad (he is a giant thunder god who mostly appears on screen as just a foot due to his size) to have an anatomically accurate feet? Or do we want to make his toes as expressive as possible to show emotion, action, and even dialogue? Our job as an artist is to find the balance. Most of the time it won’t please everyone, but I know that I am telling the story through my own perspective.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently live in Savannah, Georgia, in the Historic Downtown District. It is a peaceful city with lots of squares and church bells ringing. During the school year, the art students, mainly from SCAD, come in. It is most crowded during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, where they hold a parade that goes around the city, and everyone floods the streets wearing green. Other than that, it is a nice place to relax.

My favorite brunch place here is Quinn’s Breakfast and Lunch. It used to be called Henry’s, but they changed owners. Fortunately, they have the same menu and I never get bored with their Henry’s Signature Chicken.

If you prefer a smaller breakfast at a cafe, you could go to Mirabelle. This is right across The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, and they have really good waffles.
Or Franklin’s which is a very picturesque, half-underground cafe.

If you prefer a more homey feel, try The Gallery Espresso. It is the oldest coffee shop in town, with comfortable homey couches. They also display different artworks and paintings every period, as it also serves as an art gallery.

For lunch, I would go to Frali Gourmet. Their pasta tastes like a specially prepared homemade meal! Another great lunch place is Shuk. They serve Mediterranean cuisine while also running a cafe during the day and a bar at night.

Most tourists walk down River Street. At the west end of the walk, I like to take people to the JW Marriott lobby to see their giant dinosaur art installation and gemstones, showcased inside a restored factory. Savannah also has a lot of great antique stores. Two of my favorites are Picker Joe’s and Wright Square Mall. You’ll find the weirdest and coolest stuff there!

Closer to the evening, the Starland District is a fun place to hangout. It’s a little more south of downtown. It has an outdoor area that has food trucks, live music, game nights, and drink venues. Located nearby, Two Tides is another fun place to hangout that serves good crafted local beers. I would definitely recommend Crispi Burger, a food truck parked right in front of the stairs to Two Tides.

Honestly, if you ever visit, I’d be more than happy to take you around!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Nothing can compare the neverending love of my parents to me. I wouldn’t be here today without them in my life. Shoutout to Mama and Papa!

Shoutout to my younger brother, Raka! You are the friend who’s always there for support. You’ve taught me the most about leadership and optimism. I always hope the best of the best comes to you.

Shoutout to all the teachers, professors, and mentors! You might not realize how valuable that small piece of advice you gave in class was. Those quotes are the most impactful motivation in my life.

Shoutout to the friends and colleagues I made along the way! You all inspire me everyday. Let’s continue making amazing things together.

Website: https://www.rarafromindonesia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/namakurara_v02/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agatha-tiara-christa/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjd6cOIRaH0G6oLguqJEykw?

Image Credits
Goro Goro, 2023
Kaghati, 2022

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