Hellter interviews Macabre star, Shareefa Daanish!!
Hello my Grue-Lings,
I have a very special interview for all of you. Today my guest is Shareefa Daanish. For those of you who don’t know who she is, she is an amazing Indonesian actress. She has been in a few Indonesian horror films including the famous gore fest Macabre. She started off playing in tv sitcoms like Coffee Bean Show and started modeling. She made her transition in to the big screen in a film called Here There Satan. She is known for her amazing role as Dara. Dara was first introduced in a horror anthology called Takut: Faces of Fear. Then Dara had her own feature horror film in Macabre. She is now in a new horror film called Danur: I Can See Ghosts. Here I bring to you my interview with Indonesian actress Shareefa Daanish.
Hellter: What made you decide that you wanted to become an actress?
Shareefa: It didn’t really hit me until I got my second movie. At first in my first movie, I thought that it was fun to wear someone else’s mask, to pretend not to be myself then I got paid. But it is in my second movie that I realize that acting is what I love, it is my passion. I really enjoy the moment I transform not to a Shareefa Daanish. And I enjoy the environment in a film set.
Hellter: It’s always good to play a character. I love doing that as well. It’s good to take a break from being yourself and be someone else. I read in an old interview from 2012 that you and your mom opened up a restaurant. Do you still run that restaurant and what do you like most about it?
Shareefa: We do not run the restaurant any longer. It’s finished. Frankly, to run a restaurant is not what I like. Maybe someday, if I decided to have a restaurant, I prefer to be the investor rather than to be in a position to run it on a daily basis.
Hellter: Running a restaurant does look like hard work. I have seen some of your modeling pictures. You are a really good model and very camera friendly. How did you get into modeling, and do you enjoy doing it?
Shareefa: I was a model before an actress. I started my career as a model in my hometown Bandung. Then I got a role in a commercial of a big beauty skin treatment brand. After that, I was hired by Jakarta’s model agency. Yes, I really enjoy it.
Hellter: It looks like you do enjoy it a lot. What drew you into the world of horror films, and what made you want to audition for Di Sini Ada Setan (There’s a Demon in Here)?
Shareefa: When I did the audition for Di Sini Ada Setan, it was simply a plain curiosity of something new. The director was looking for a distinctive character and look. They contacted my agency, asked me if I want to do the audition. And I said to hell why not.
Hellter: It’s always good to have an agent to find you those kinds of roles. I love horror roles. Your first horror movie role was for a film called Di Sini Ada Setan (There’s a Demon in Here; 2004). What is the film about and describe your character?
Shareefa: My character is a ghost woman that haunted a group of youngsters whose having a fun holiday in a haunted lake.
Hellter: It does sound like a good film, I’ll look for it. In Kesurupan horror film. It’s a horror possession film. I haven’t seen this film, but I’m very interested in seeing it after watching the trailer. Do you mind talking about what the film is about and the character you play?
Shareefa: My character name is Alin, she’s just finished her high school and about to enter university. At the university junior initiation all the student camp in the forest. She did not respect the forest and accidentally found a skeleton and making fun of it. When she went home she kept being possessed by the demon from the forest.
Hellter: Sounds like another amazing horror film to watch. What would you do if you had possession of a creepy evil doll and evil spirits tried to possess you, how would you fight them off?
Shareefa: I’m a religious person so I will pray to my God.
Hellter: I probably would do the same thing (laughs). Are you a fan of horror anthologies? And what got you interested in playing Dara in the gore fest Takut: Faces of Fear, the horror anthology?
Shareefa: Yes I’m a fan of horror anthologies. I fall in love with the character of Dara.
Hellter: I fell in love with Dara too. Amazing character. The character of Dara in Takut: Faces of Fear. Is that segment what made the Mo Brothers want to turn Dara into a full-length horror film in Macabre (Rumah Dara)?
Shareefa: Yes, that is correct. But they changed the character. Dara in Takut and Dara in Macabre is a little bit different.
Hellter: I love Dara in Macabre. How was it like working with the Mo Brothers and for fans that don’t know, what is Macabre about? Macabre is my favorite international horror film of all time. I love this movie and your character. Such an amazing performance by you
Shareefa: It was such an honor working with the Mo Brothers. The first meeting we had, I know the movie is gonna be a big hit. The shooting process was really taking so much energy physically and emotionally. But I’m so happy with the result of both Dara in Takut and Macabre. Thank you for the compliment.
Hellter: You are very welcome. You did have an amazing performance, I loved it. How do you mentally and physically prepare yourself for a role like Dara in Macabre? That’s a lot of gore.
Shareefa: We got 2 months preparation for physical training. Gotta go to the gym 3 times a week because they asked me to make my body a little bit bigger (bulky), they thought my body is too thin for the character. And the mental prep, frankly I didn’t prepare anything in particular, I only tried to enjoy every moment since the reading began until the shooting end.
Hellter: I guess I would hit the gym hard to for that role and I would have to mentally take myself into a dark place to play a role like that. What would you do if you and your friends took a road trip and encountered a strange woman on the road who takes you back to her isolated house, then while your there you find out the mom and her family are blood thirsty cannibals, how would you fight off Dara?
Shareefa: I won’t fight ‘em, I’m going to ask ‘em “please could you make me become part of you?”.
Hellter: (laughs) Me to. How did it feel winning a “best villai”n award for your portrayal of Dara in Macabre?
Shareefa: The feeling can’t be described by words because I wasn’t expecting anything when I took the role and even when I went to the festival. I’ve never won any awards in my whole life, so basically it was my first ever award. I got an ultimate answer for my worry in this acting sphere. It convinces me to hell with other people’s opinions, they doubt me that I can act especially in the early years.
Hellter: Very well said, I totally agree with you. How was it like working with the cast on Macabre and filming those very gory scenes with them?
Shareefa: It was fun and always under pressure because all of them are good actors and actresses. It pushed me hard to be equal with them, to act with passion and totality.
Hellter: You really did have an amazing cast that worked with you on Macabre. How was your experience working with Awi Suryadi on the new horror film Danur: I see the Ghosts?
Shareefa: He’s becoming one of my favorite director’s. He’s laid back yet having a good interpretation kinda director. He knows what he’s doing and able to transfer it to all the team.
Hellter: Awi is a really cool guy. I have chatted with him and did a top 8 with him. He seems very nice and very good at what he does. What is Danur: I see the Ghosts about?
Shareefa: It is about a girl who can see ghosts and communicate with ‘em.
Hellter: I can’t wait to see this film. Looks amazing. Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? and if so, have you had any paranormal experiences?
Shareefa: Yes, I believe in ghosts/spirits. It’s hard not to because I’ve been watching so many horror movies. But I believe that they won’t do any harm to us. We are in a different world. FYI, I’ve met a ghost that here we call a Kuntilanak twice in my dream and it felt very vivid and real.
Hellter: I love the paranormal and I do believe in spirits. The supernatural is very fascinating. There is no information on a horror movie in post-production called The Curse, can you give us more information the movie and what is the movie about?
Shareefa: The Curse will be in the cinema in Indonesia in April. It’s about an Indonesian advocate (cast by Prisia Nasution) who lives in Melbourne and have spirits that keep haunting her, apparently it was from her past. My character name is Lee An, a bad person from one of the client that the main character has defended.
Hellter: Thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with me today.
Shareefa: You’re welcome.
