Nico Pelamonia (16 March 1940 â€" 15 May 2017) was an Indonesian actor
turned film director who won the Citra Award for Best Director in 1976
for his film Semalam di Malaysia. He has been involved in 33 feature
film productions since his debut in Fred Young's Dibalik Awan in
1963.Pelamonia was born in Ambon, Maluku, on 16 March 1940. His
parents intended for him to become a priest, and after senior high
school he sent to Java to prepare for it. In 1962, however, Pelamonia
enrolled at the Indonesian National Theater Academy (Akademi Teater
Nasional Indonesia, or ATNI). He had his first film role, a bit part
in Fred Young's Dibalik Awan (Behind the Clouds), the following year.
During his school years he acted in two films, D. Djajakusuma's Masa
Topan dan Badai (Time of Storms and Gales; 1963) and Pitrajaya
Burnama's Karma (1965). He was also involved in television, becoming a
presenter for the newly established TVRI.In 1965 Pelamonia dropped out
of ATNI and signed with Pertisa Film, later known as Tuti Mutia Film
Production. Pelamonia's first film for the company, Fadjar Ditengah
Kabut (Dawn Amidst the Fog), saw him act and serve as assistant
director to Danu Umbara. The following year Pelamonia made his
directorial debut with Sendja di Jakarta (Twilight in Jakarta), an
adaptation of the novel of the same name by Mochtar Lubis. Two years
later he departed for West Germany, where he studied filmmaking.Upon
his return to Indonesia in 1970, Pelamonia resumed acting. He took a
role in Hasmanan's Samiun dan Dasima (Samiun and Dasima) in 1970. The
following year he directed his first film since returning from West
Germany, Jang Djatuh Dikaki Lelaki (Those Who Fall at the Feet of Men)
from the novel by Abdullah Harahap. He directed a further four films
for Tuti Mutia, acting in several of them. This culminated with
Semalam di Malaysia (One Night in Malaysia) in 1975. After the film
garnered him a Citra Award for Best Director at the 1976 Indonesian
Film Festival, Pelamonia left Tuti Mutia and began working as a
freelancer. Nico Pelamonia Top Movies & Young Movies