Kleinkinderen van de Oost
Poignant documentary about two friends who retrace the footsteps of their grandfathers in Indonesia, who both fought in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army.
How can I carry blame for something that I didn’t do?’ filmmaker Daan van Citters (29) asks. His grandfather participated in what the Dutch for long euphemistically called the ‘police actions’, during which large-scale atrocities were committed in Indonesia. And not only that, but his ancestors were very high-up in the Dutch East India Company, which robbed Indonesia during the 17th and 18th century.
On the set of the feature film DE OOST, Daan became friends with actor Joenoes Polnaya (32). Joenoes’ grandfather fought for the Dutch as well, as one of the many Moluccan soldiers recruited by the Dutch to fight for them, and who were very badly betrayed after the battle was over. Their brave journey confronts Daan and Joenoes with difficult questions about guilt, shame, and transgenerational trauma. And with the way in which the actions of their ancestors shaped who they are today.