'Despicable Me' Film Director, Son of Indonesia's Famous Novelist
19 October 2018 22:53 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The news stating that Pierre Coffin, the director of Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2, is the son of novelist N.H. Dini has been spread all over Indonesia. Coffin himself has confirmed the rumor, before adding that he has not read his mother's books, that are known to often tell stories about their family.
In an interview with VOA Indonesia, a day after the launch of Despicable Me's sequel, the 46 year-old man described his childhood memories with his mother to the reporter.
"That's right, I am her son. It's actually weird because I've never read her books, since they have not been translated into French. I honestly don't know people's perception about my mother," said Pierre, whose original name is Pierre Louis Padang.
"However, I know that many of her friends admire her. Since I don't understand Indonesian, I often asked about her books to her friends," he confessed. He stated that he is proud of her mother, but also embarrassed because it turned out that her mother often used her family as characters in her book. "I really want to read her books," he said.
Pierre still remembers how his mother often introduced him to the Indonesian culture when he was young. "I remember when I was young, my mother often brought me to the Indonesian embassy in the country where we resided. I remember everything she introduced me to. Until now, I still remember the rhythms of Indonesia's traditional music," Pierre recalled the memories.
Even if he has not met with his mother for a long time (his parents separated in 1984 when he was 17), Pierre can still remember his childhood with his mother when they stayed in Paris. Pierre sincerely praised the rich heritage his mother's country owns.
"This interview has brought my mind back to childhood. I should say that Indonesia's food is the tastiest in the world. I also think that Bahasa Indonesia is a beautiful language, it sounds like musical notes. When I played the voices of Minions in Despicable Me, I used various languages with interesting ways, especially words that I find charming. Maybe you heard me say 'terima kasih' (thank you) in the movie," he said.
VOA INDONESIA | AISHA
