Mama'ku – Van Jakarta tot de Molukken

For many, the link with the Dutch East Indies – now Indonesia – remains very tangible. The colonial history is complex and often painful, and the resulting (intergenerational) trauma is often kept silent. Filmmakers Sven Peetoom and Aldo Agaatsz explore this in their short films, Mama’ku and Sudah respectively.

In the short documentary Mama’ku, Sven Peetoom (Tussen wal en schip – Geruisloos Indisch) follows dancer and choreographer Cheroney Pelupessy, who returns with her mother Laura Pelupessy to Jakarta, the city where Laura grew up but about which she never spoke. During the journey, they try to come to terms with the traumas of the past, and this strengthens the bond between the two.

The short drama Sudah tells the story of Manadonese Senna, who is travelling to Indonesia for the first time, the country where her roots lie. During the farewell dinner, everyone gives her tips on places to visit. Senna, however, wants to know more about her family history, a very sensitive subject. No one wants to talk, until she reveals a secret.