Arifin C. Noer, a renowned Indonesian poet, theater director, and film producer, was born on March 10, 1941. He studied Civil Administration at Cokroaminoto University in Yogyakarta, Central Java, and began his theatrical career in the early 1960s as an actor in a study group with W.S. Rendra.
After completing his degree in 1967, Noer moved to Jakarta and founded Teater Kecil, a laboratory where he and other actors could experiment with the workshop model, emphasizing the whole person. This approach was inspired by W.S. Rendra, but Noer focused on cultivating acting skills.
Throughout his career, Noer was a prolific playwright and director, producing many original plays, including his best-known work, Kapai-Kapai, in 1970. His screenplays have won numerous awards, including the Golden Harvest trophy for Best Dialogue at the Film Festival Asia in 1972 for Pemberang.
Noer's plays have been translated into several languages, including English, French, Swedish, and Chinese. In 1972-73, he participated in the Iowa Writers' Workshop, an international writing program in the United States.
In 1990, Noer received the S.E.A. Write Award, and two years later, his film Bibir Mer was submitted for consideration as the Indonesian entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Noer's notable poetry works include Selamat Pagi Jajang, published in 1979, and a collection of poetry published after his death, Nyanyian Sepi, in 1995.
Arifin C. Noer passed away on May 28, 1995.
