Director, screenwriter and actor, Slamet Rahardjo has been a leading figure in Indonesian films since the late 1960s and his acclaim spans the decades. In 1968, he formed Teater Populer (Popular Theatre), a pioneering theatre group in the country, along with one of the most recognised directors at the time, Teguh Karya. He debuted as an actor in Karya’s first movie Wadjah Seorang Laki-Laki (Ballad of a Man) in 1971, but it was only in 1980 that he made his own debut film, Rembulan dan Matahari (A Time to Mend).

Another decade passed before Rahardjo released the children’s film Langitku, Rumahku (My Home), which amassed a huge number of local and international awards. It was nominated for nine Citra Awards at the 1990 Indonesian Film Festival, before it went on to win the Three Continents Festival. It was also Indonesia's submission to the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991.

Rahardjo was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 by the AIFFA Film Festival for his many contributions to the industry.