In Shenina Cinnamon’s eyes, the world lights up. As a new and promising actress, she faces the inevitable challenges that come with her rise to fame. Yet, she welcomes the whirlwind with boldness and brilliance, loud and proud to experience it all. Despite the newfound spotlight, in stolen quiet seconds, she takes a step back to cherish life’s laidback joys and simple pleasures.
By The Time Place Magazine
WATCH—CHANEL J12 Black Diamond, JEWELLERY—CHANEL Coco Crush, OUTFIT—CHANEL Coco Beach 2024 Collection
Shenina Cinnamon refuses to be anything but authentic. She lives unapologetically in the glow of her own light, fully aware of her own self without a shadow of a doubt. It is only natural that such fierceness and fearlessness are wilfully noticed, interpreted as a sign of great destinies in life. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple nudge from others to ignite these wonderful circumstances. In Shenina’s case, somebody suggested that she try casting, setting her on a path that would forever change her life.
At first, Shenina doubted that an acting career was for her, but after continuous persuasion, she finally relented. “I decided to give it a shot, attended a casting session, and to my disbelief, I landed the role!” she exclaimed incredulously. “I guess it’s true what my father always says: the first step to anything is trying. If you never try, you’ll never know the many things you are capable of.”
Shenina herself was no stranger to the ins and outs of the film industry. Throughout her childhood, she witnessed her father’s work in broadcasting at a TV station. Observing the magic behind the scenes ignited her youthful ambition to create the same kind of magic. “I know myself; an office job in front of a computer with strict hours—that’s not me. I want to create art,” she declared. Initially aspiring to create magic behind the scenes as a producer, Shenina’s path has since shifted slightly. Now, she creates magic in front of the camera, where everyone can see.
WATCH—CHANEL J12 Couture White _ JEWELLERY—CHANEL Coco Crush _ OUTFIT—CHANEL Coco Beach 2024 Collection
By the time she dipped her feet into acting, she knew she had to go all in. For two years, she endured rejections, insults, and criticisms. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I once had a script thrown at my face. They told me that I couldn’t act,” she recounted with a smile. “The more they tried to bring me down, the more determined I was to succeed,” she stated. The lady exudes an aura of power belying her youthful, innocent appearance.
Shenina’s heartbeat could probably be heard throughout the room the first time she acted in front of the camera. “I was, of course, incredibly nervous. I was afraid of making a mistake,” she confessed. “What people don’t realise when they see actors on screen are the many crew members behind the camera. Whether you cry, laugh, or scream, everyone is watching you,” she divulged. Eventually, though, Shenina found her own rhythm and confidence. When the director calls “Action!” and the camera starts rolling, all apprehensions fade away. Without even realising it, Shenina becomes a vessel for her character to tell their own story.
“I enjoy evoking and manipulating emotions. It’s exhilarating for me to tap into my feelings and release them through my characters,” the young actress explained. Despite having a habit of occasionally overthinking, Shenina has developed her own coping mechanism on set. “When my thoughts overwhelm me, I take a breather, focus on positive thoughts, and then return refreshed. Overthinking doesn’t help; it’s a cycle that never ends, especially when done excessively. “Overthinking itself is already ‘over,’ and if it’s ‘over-overthinking,’ that doesn’t sound so good, right? Let’s avoid that,” she laughed.
WATCH—CHANEL Première Robot, JEWELLERY—CHANEL Coco Crush, OUTFIT—CHANEL Coco Beach 2024 Collection
The day Shenina landed her role as Suryani in Photocopier (2021), it felt as if the universe had conspired to bring her to that moment. “That day, like many days before, I met with Kak Wregas, the director and screenwriter of the movie, for what I thought was a casting for Suryani. Then he told me that it wasn’t a casting; instead, he asked if I was interested in playing the character of Suryani,” she recounted, still very visibly touched by the memory. “I said yes in disbelief, almost fainted, and then proceeded to scream in excitement and gratitude as I called up my mother and father.”
Sometimes, hard work takes time to bear fruit, and this appears to be the time for Shenina to reap her reward. “I went through casting after casting, competing with so many other candidates. This time, I was offered the role directly, only to me,” Shenina marvelled in wonder. “The opportunity to play Suryani was a truly incredible moment in my life. With the film being known to many people and even securing a total of 12 awards at the Piala Citra Festival Film Indonesia in 2021, Suryani has brought me countless blessings and lessons in both the industry and my personal life. We are similar in many ways, and she will always have a special place in my heart.”
For Shenina, the real reward from her act as Suryani lies not in generic praises like “You did great.” “I want more than that,” she said. “Tell me more. Share with me how a specific scene made you feel. Critique my acting so I can improve. When people do any of that, I feel more appreciated. It shows that they genuinely care for me, and I have succeeded not just in performing, but also in connecting.” In the long run, Shenina aspires to establish a lasting presence in Indonesia’s film industry, creating a diverse portfolio that spans genres, eras and emotions, while continually evolving as both an artist and a storyteller. “I will give my very best to each role and every project so that one day, my great-granddaughter can enjoy my movies and be proud to know that the woman on the screen is me,” she conveyed with a chuckle.
WATCH—CHANEL Première White, JEWELLERY—CHANEL Coco Crush, OUTFIT—CHANEL Coco Beach 2024 Collection
Not everyone finds joy in their work, but Shenina treasures her privilege. “I’d rather face stress at work than sit idle at home,” she admitted. Despite her ambitious and relentless spirit, she understands that feeling tired and taking breaks are normal, natural, and essential. Her favourite pastime is spending quality time with her family, especially her father, with whom she shares an irreplaceable bond. “We’re like twins, he’s the male version of me, down to our personalities,” she affectionately revealed. During tough times or when faced with hurtful comments that cut deep, she turns to her father for strength. “He always reminds me that judgments from others say more about them than about me. I know myself, and I won’t let negativity affect me because I value myself too much to be hurt by people who don’t even know me,” she reflected confidently.
When she has days off, Shenina consciously sets boundaries between her intense acting schedule and her personal life. Whether she’s leisurely swimming at the beach, hitting the gym to stay fit, attending concerts, lounging at home watching Netflix, or simply enjoying the company of loved ones, she embraces each moment with gratitude. “The gym is one of my favourite places because I meet people from different backgrounds. After spending so much time in the entertainment industry bubble, meeting diverse individuals at the gym gives me a fresh perspective. It refreshes my mind,” Shenina shared.
The actress understands the importance of rest and self-care. “No matter how ambitious we are as humans, our bodies know when we should stop. We have limits that only we know,” she emphasised. “Everyone has their own bodies, so when it’s time to rest, please rest—don’t stay up all night. Eat healthy food, avoid unhealthy drinks, and drink plenty of water. I’m sure everyone knows this, but often they don’t act on it until something actually happens.”
Just as she morphs into different characters on-screen, Shenina says that once she wears CHANEL, she transforms into a different version of herself, an “It Girl” who commands attention. “When I wore CHANEL to my premiere, everybody turned to watch me walk by. It was truly a confidence booster; how I feel when I wear CHANEL is unmatched by anything else,” she explained. She especially admires the CHANEL timepieces, which perfectly complement her simple, laidback style, comfortably wrapping her wrist in luxury from day to night.
One can easily see that Shenina Cinnamon lives for the thrill of each new day. She understands that life’s beauty lies not in certainties, but in surprises, and she takes it all in, yearning to experience everything life has to offer with fierce determination and gentle pauses. She is many things in life, and none of them are contradictory. She is both the calm and the storm, each facet intertwined—a seeker of experiences, a collector of moments, and a lover of life in all its forms.
–
Creative Direction by Erika Tania of #TheTimePlaceMagazine
Photography by Raja Siregar
Fashion Styling and Text by Charlene Atalie of #TheTimePlaceMagazine
Make-up by Claudya Christiani
Hair Styling by Dita Wiradisastra
Located at Fairmont Jakarta
#ReadAnywhere the latest issue of The Time Place Magazine
CHANEL chanel j12 Shenina Cinnamon the time place magazine
