Anak Indië
A documentary by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich (Buitenkampers, Klanken Van Oorsprong) exploring Dutch East Indies’ heritage, with past and present converging in a mosaic of personal stories.
The Netherlands is home to over two million people with roots in the former Dutch East Indies, including more than 300,000 who were forcibly repatriated after World War II. For Dutch-Indonesians, Moluccans, and Peranakan Chinese, this marked a new beginning in a country that did not always welcome them with open arms.
Anak Indië uses collage animation, 8mm archive footage, and the personal stories of prominent Dutch East Indies figures – such as Yvonne Keuls, Adriaan van Dis, and Wieteke van Dort – to show how they built new lives. The archival material reflects the experience shared by many with this heritage: the feeling of being born between two cultures.
This is a film about resilience, identity, and a shared past – one that remains tangible and visible in the Netherlands today. From the Indonesian rice table to music, from visual culture to the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, this intangible heritage is deeply woven into Dutch society.