In the year that the Netherlands is celebrating “75 Years of Freedom” [the liberation from Nazi Germany in the Netherlands and the liberation form Japan in the Dutch East Indies] the Dutch colonial past in Indonesia is more important than ever. After August 15, 1945, more than 350,000 people with a diversity of perspectives and stories moved from Indonesia to the Netherlands. Just like the people, their colonial heritage also traveled along with them to the Netherlands and found new accommodation in museums, archives and people’s homes. What does colonial heritage mean today?
Amanda Pinatih, Design curator Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and PhD candidate, Raki Ap, educator and activist & Yopi Abraham, artist and co-founder of Awareness Moluccan Identity share their perspectives. Narrator: curator and researcher Sadiah Boonstra. Contemporary dance by Cheroney Pelupessy.
Concept & directed by Suzanne Rastovac
Camera & Edit Jeremy Flohr
Camera Armando Ello, Lexy Rambadeta, Elinde Kersbergen
Light & sound Armando Ello
Production leader Glenda Pattipeilohy
English subtitles: Chrissy Flohr
This production was initiated by the Dutch Memorial Day Committee Amsterdam Southeast (Stichting 4 en 5 mei Comité Amsterdam Zuidoost) and was made possible with financial support from the Amsterdam City Council.
Annually every August, since a few years ago, the Memorial Day Committee started to pay attention to the liberation of the Dutch East Indies. With this film, the Committee goes one step further and allows a younger generation [to express] how they experience their shared [colonial] heritage.