Kareem Soenharjo on Chaos, Honesty, and the Films That Shaped Him
For this edition of Jakarta Cinema Club’s conversation series, we sat down with Kareem Soenharjo (the musician and artist behind BAP., BAPAK, Yosugi and Reemo) to talk about chaos, confession, and cinema. From self-reflection to Shrek, from TÁR to Evil Dead, the conversation flowed between humor and honesty and it reflects the raw and thoughtful energy that defines Kareem’s art. He’ll be showcasing an exhibition called Taxing soon, and it’s far too exciting to pass up.
We first came across Kareem’s musical project in 2018 at The Other Festival at Hotel Monopoli. He performed tracks from his debut album, Monkshood, entirely on his own, switching between guitar, synth, singing, and rapping. It was quite a sight. Since then, his musical journey has only grown more colorful, moving through different monikers and exploring a wide range of sounds from hip-hop, alternative, jazz, and pop to moments that almost feel like No Wave.
His love for art across mediums is undeniable. He even attended one of The After Hours, a monthly screening program by Jakarta Cinema Club — so yes, he’s very much a film person too. That’s why our editorial team came up with the idea of creating a segment where we talk about films with people who work across multiple platforms, whether they’re from music, tech, finance, or anywhere else. We call it Off Script.
Christian Putra (CP): Kareem, long time no see BAP. Since the showcase at Krapela last year. We’re really happy to see your paintings again even if only through social media. In some works there’s a guy figure, maybe a self-portrait, sitting and looking down. How’s 2025 so far? Any exhibition coming up?
Kareem Soenharjo (KS): It’s complete shit. This year is a mess hahaha. Some of it is for good reasons, some for very, very bad reasons. My goal right now is to just float both mentally, physically, and financially, I guess. The art thing has been something I never really dived into seriously. I always drew, but I never took it seriously. Only this year I took it seriously and realized, oh… you know, I can actually do this.
But compared to last year, this year is actually better. Whenever I make an album I put out all my confessions, and once the confessions are out, I have no choice but to become a better person. Because if you keep secrets, you keep being the same shitty person. On the third album I talked about my eating disorder, my tendency to be toxic in relationships, and everything. So when you hit rock bottom, you have to climb up. Now I work out, I lose weight, I eat more responsibly, but I also enjoy everything. My dog is okay, too.
Now, I’m very conscious of my daily actions. For example, if I order a huge greasy meal at 22:00 or midnight, I’m fully aware of the consequences. I know what I need to do the next day. And that makes things better.
CP: We’ve been listening to your music since Monkshood and the visuals you present on each album feel very cinematic. Are you a cinephile? Because if not, this conversation ends here haha.
KS: I feel like I’m not a cinephile, but I love watching, enjoying, and analyzing films too. Obviously my film choices are not those of a typical cinephile most of the time.
CP: You humblebrag. Every film snob says that.
KS: Hahaha, I’ve been watching Grown Ups (2010) these past few days, man. Super, man. Complete bullshit.
CP: How do you see film in your daily life? Pure entertainment?
KS: No, no. But it can be seen from that point of view. One word I repeat every day is context. For example, you can say Shrek (2001) is as good as Goodfellas (1990) because you’re placing it in the right context. You can also say Shrek is a shit film because it has no gangsters in it. But if you judge it within its own field, it’s an animated film and it teaches a lot about acceptance. The jokes still land today, Mike Myers is so good as a voice actor. It’s a great, great movie.
CP: Now we’re talking Shrek like this.
KS: Hahaha, sorry, sorry.
CP: But I love Shrek, especially Shrek 2 (2004) with that Dashboard Confessional and Counting Crows soundtrack.
KS: Yess, Shrek 2!
CP: Any favorite directors?
KS: My way of consuming music might differ from how I consume films. With music, because I grew up with it, if I like an artist I dive into their other albums. I can argue that consuming music is a bit easier than films. For example, I love TÁR (2022) by Todd Field. His other films have been on my watchlist for a long time, but I thought if his other films were as heavy as TÁR… that would be exhausting. I’ve seen TÁR many times, but you have to admit, it’s such a draining experience. So it’s different.
For a favorite director, I’m kind of a basic bitch. I like Martin Scorsese. The Irishman (2019) is one of my favorite films.
CP: Did you watch The Irishman in one sitting or break it up?
KS: I broke it up actually, but that was because I was sick, so after an hour I needed to sleep. I felt exhausted. Then the next day I watched another hour until it was finished. And then, I don’t know why, after that maybe I watched that film up to ten times in one sitting, man.
CP: No way. But why? Like meditative?
KS: Oh, very. Maybe one of his most meditative works because it’s like an existential movie. You can break it down into many aspects, and even though it has bad CGI, it still adds to the whole atmosphere. I interpret it like this: this person looks old although he was young. It says a lot about the film. He’s been old this whole time, bro. Stubborn from the start. A mess. His job is killing people all the time. It’s an amazing film. Scorsese is my favorite.
CP: It’s like a summary of Scorsese’s journey. A low-key climax of his filmography.
KS: That shit is haunting, man. Spoiler alert, the last shot: De Niro in a retirement home and he still keeps the door open. That’s fucked up, man. It’s a wasted life. We watch his character from youth to old age and he’s still paranoid. That’s a fucked up way to live.
CP: Can you tell us about four films that mattered most to you from childhood to now?
KS: When I was a kid, Spider-Man 2 (2004). That train scene made me cry. Tobey Maguire is perfect.
CP: That specific train scene huh
KS: I have this weird fascination with New York. I think the city in the media has always been romanticized. It doesn’t matter what race or religion you have, when you see a problem you unite. And it’s a beautiful depiction of solidarity. The city never fucking sleeps, man.
Second film, there’s one I watched with my family long ago called Le Grand Voyage (2004). As a Moslem, it touches me that Islam is portrayed in a very humanistic way. It’s very grounded in reality. The characters are not gimmicky. And the ending is… you know.
CP: The ending is sad.
KS: Devastating, hahaha. But that’s what life is. And as a Moslem, you should not romanticize your religion too much because that’s what it means to be human.
The third film is the original Evil Dead (1981) by Sam Raimi. I love the visual effects. You can tell it’s fake. It was the time when I also watched a lot of the Guinea Pig franchise in high school. Young and curious. The one that hit me most was Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985), which is ridiculous. I happened to watch a behind-the-scenes documentary on the visual effects before watching the film. From there I discovered Evil Dead. It’s so funny.
CP: The remake felt too serious to me. Are people now more serious?
KS: Not really, haha. Actually more ‘unserious’. I just watched Bottoms (2023), it’s stupid but funny. I recently watched Opus (2025) and I don’t get the hate. I love it. There’s a scene where Ayo Edebiri’s character has an anxiety attack and it’s painfully accurate. I’ve been there.
Last one, TÁR (2022). It’s a downfall story and the downfall is deserved. The more you watch it, the more apparent it becomes: you’re a phony, dude. The set is perfect. The scale is grand. The editing is very good. Cate Blanchett is a goddess. I think it’s a perfect world when you can portray all kinds of people in both bad and good lights. Nobody is on a pedestal. Everyone is horizontal. Everyone is flat.
CP: You’re the humble kind of snob. Anyway, will there be an exhibition soon?
KS: Hahaha. Yes, there will be an exhibition at the end of November 2025.
CP: Good luck.
KS: Thank you.
A conversation like this reveals how guilt, chaos, and even absurd pop-culture references can sit on the same plane of sincerity. It shows how reflection can dissolve the boundaries between film, sound, and personal growth. Even in a year that feels like “complete shit,” there is still room for clarity, humor, and honesty to rise to the surface. Please check out a film list passionately curated by Kareem Soenharjo from this conversation on our Letterboxd.
Kareem Soenharjo’s ‘Taxing’ is an exhibition of Kareem’s collection of paintings and drawings reflecting on endurance, emotional fatigue, and the contradictions of living with both pessimism and hope.
29 Nov – 13 Dec 2025
Studio 22nya, Grand Wijaya Center Blok G9-10 Lantai 2, Jakarta 12160
Open 13:00 – 19:00 PM (Closed Sundays)
Artist Talk: Saturday, 6 December | 15:00 – 17:00
Also read: The Things Of Life Karya Claude Sautet: Merayakan 100 Tahun Kelahiran Legenda
Credit:
Feature image: photo by Gaspard Perelman, m. album tiga artwork by BAP.