Ariel Tatum on desire, infidelity and playing a woman caught in a dangerous love triangle

If you’re not already familiar with Ariel Tatum, this is a good place to start.

The Indonesian actress was in Singapore in late November, during the latter half of the Singapore International Film Festival. She was in town with co-stars Chicco Jerikho and Jerome Kurnia, alongside director Mouly Surya, for the premiere of This City Is a Battlefield (Perang Kota). The film, set in Jakarta in 1946, explores a turbulent chapter in Indonesia’s early post-war history – a year after independence was declared, but while sovereignty remained violently contested.

For Ariel, the project marks a significant chapter in a career that began early and unfolded under sustained public attention. She comes from a family with deep roots in Indonesian entertainment: her maternal grandmother is Joice Erna, a Citra Award–winning actress active in the 1970s, while her paternal grandfather was Murry of the influential band Koes Plus. Her parents – Rico Valentino Murry and Tatum Mathilda – were also active in music and film, meaning Ariel grew up around sets, studios and rehearsal rooms long before she stepped into the spotlight herself.

As her screen career evolved, so did Ariel’s public presence. Over the past few years, she has built a substantial following across Instagram and TikTok, where promotional work and film-related content sit alongside more personal reflections

.Beyond the demands of brand partnerships, Ariel has also used these platforms to speak openly about mental health, self-worth and emotional well-being, at times drawing from her own experiences – including acknowledging struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder. That candour, expressed within the realities of a highly commercial and highly visible space, has resonated strongly with younger audiences, broadening her influence beyond film and positioning her as a cultural figure whose visibility carries weight off screen as well.

At the same time, Ariel has become more deliberate about the work she takes on. In recent years, she has spoken about being more thoughtful in how and why she chooses her roles, leaning towards projects that are more complex and emotionally layered. It is less about reinventing herself, and more about choosing stories that feel meaningful to her now.

This City Is a Battlefield reflects that turn. Directed by Mouly Surya and adapted from Mochtar Lubis’ 1952 novel Jalan Tak Ada Ujung, the film is less interested in heroic mythmaking than in moral ambiguity, fear and the emotional cost of survival. Ariel plays Fatima, a woman navigating marriage, desire and agency in a city suspended between collapse and hope – a character only lightly sketched in the original text, and one the film brings into sharper focus.

In conversation, Ariel speaks with clarity and restraint, moving easily between history and the present day, between character work and personal reflection. Below, she reflects on building Fatima from fragments, collaborating with Mouly Surya, and what it means to revisit stories shaped by a different time.

This City Is a Battlefield is set in a very specific, charged moment in Indonesian history. When you first read the script, what stood out to you about Fatima?

I felt that she’s the epitome of womanhood. She is elegant, powerful and strong. She represents the women I’ve known all my life. There’s always femininity, but also this inner strength that’s passionate and very real.

Fatima feels fully formed on screen, yet she isn’t clearly defined in the original novel. What did that creative space allow you to explore?

Quite a lot, actually. Throughout the workshops, Mouly and I were trying to understand who Fatima needed to be.

Some of her traits came from me. For example, Fatima plays the piano –  that came from a conversation where I told Mouly I’ve been playing classical piano since I was little. There’s also something about poise. Mouly always said she wanted Fatima to feel wise and graceful, and she saw those qualities in me.

So in a way, we created Fatima together.

Was there anything about her that challenged you personally?

Her patience – especially towards her husband. I struggled with that. The way she’s able to shrink herself within the marriage. I don’t even know if that’s the right word, but it felt like she was able to minimise herself for the relationship. I’m not sure I could do that.

That idea of “shrinking” feels closely tied to the era the film is set in. How did you emotionally access that mindset?

A lot of women at that time were expected to act a certain way in marriage. It’s cultural and historical.

But I’ve also known many women who are very powerful and who have the privilege to choose what they want in life. I think Fatima exists between those two realities. You see it in how she behaves differently with Hazil compared to her husband.

Were there any women from history who stayed with you while you were building the character?

 Yes – Hajjah Rangkayo Rasuna Said. She inspired me deeply in bringing Fatima to life.

The film is set in 1946 – a year that’s historically significant, but emotionally hard to imagine. How did you prepare for that world?

We did a lot of research. We spoke with historians, read books, and watched archival footage to understand what life might have felt like back then – especially in Batavia.

We weren’t just trying to understand the facts. We wanted to understand the emotional reality of living in that time.

Fatima moves between two very different relationships in the film –  her marriage to Isa (Fatima’s husband and a schoolteacher who is also involved in the anti-colonial resistance, played by Chicco Jerikho ) and her growing closeness to Hazil (a fellow resistance fighter and Isa’s close confidant, played by Jerome Kurnia). 

You spent months working closely with both actors. How did that long rehearsal process shape the emotional dynamics between the three of you on screen?

It was such a pleasure, honestly. We spent around six to eight months in workshops and rehearsals, often together for six to twelve hours a day. That kind of time really allows you to understand each other –  not just as actors, but as people.

They’re both incredibly professional. We could laugh and talk about life after work, but once we stepped back into the rehearsal room, we were fully focused. All three of us were very determined to make the relationships and the emotional tension between them feel truthful.

Fatima’s relationship with Hazil is bound to spark conversation. How do you personally define what happens between them?

It depends on how you define cheating. For me, cheating is doing something behind your partner’s back that you know they wouldn’t accept.

So yes, I think there was cheating – but I don’t see it as emotional cheating. It was physical. It came from desire. From unmet needs.

You’ve worked across many genres. What made you say yes to this role so quickly?

I would never say no to Mouly. I’ve admired her work since her very first film.

I also read the novel when I was about 15. It’s actually a light read, surprisingly. But I was very interested in Mouly’s interpretation. She’s a complex thinker. I said yes immediately.

On that note – what was it like working with Mouly Surya?

She knows exactly what she wants, but she gives actors space to explore and ask questions. She’s very strict with her vision, yet open at the same time. It’s a really beautiful balance.

You’ve spoken openly about therapy and emotional healing. Did that personal work help you connect with Fatima?

Definitely. I’m fascinated by how the human mind works. Being an actor allows me to explore that curiosity. Understanding the psyche is something I genuinely love.

Did that psychological lens help you hold space for a character whose choices don’t always feel comfortable?

Yes. As an actor, it’s a lot about empathy and understanding.

I needed to understand why she made the choices she did, even if they didn’t align with my own values. Once you understand a character’s inner world, their decisions make sense within their reality, not yours.

What do you hope women can take away from this film?

Playing Fatima made me feel empowered. It reminded me how much times have changed –  how women today have options beyond being a wife or a mother.

We’re living in an era where all parts of us can be embraced and celebrated.