Nicholas refuses to be called an icon

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 12/10/2008 8:17 AM | People

NICHOLAS SAPUTRA: (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)

JAKARTA: Nicholas Saputra has been chosen by the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence (Kontras) as an icon for the organization’s campaign on human rights — but the actor and popular VJ doesn’t want to be referred to as one.

“The term (icon) is too heavy for me. Being an icon requires a big responsibility and I think I haven’t reach that level,” Nicholas was quoted as saying by Tempointeraktif on Monday.

The 24-year-old said the movement “Human Loves Human” was a social movement established by Kontras to call on people to respect human rights and love each other.

Nicholas, who won the Best Actor award at the 2005 Indonesian Film Festival for his role in Gie, said he preferred to be called a volunteer rather than an icon.

Together with other celebrities such as director Riri Riza and Mira Lesmana, Nicholas was selected by the human rights defender organization as one of the icons of the movement.

Kontras also collaborated with the JiFFest management team to screen a “Human Loves Human” selection of films during the festival, which was held from Dec. 5 to 9.

“We want to create a more humanist image. The image of Kontras and human rights movement in Indonesia has been too political. People perceived Kontras as a hard and political movement. This movement is more social and ethical. We want to spread the anti-violence movement through a social movement,” Kontras director Usman Hamid told The Jakarta Post. — JP/Matheos V. Messakh