Louis Doedel
In the Netherlands, few are familiar with the remarkable and tragic life story of Louis Doedel: a Surinamese trade unionist through and through. He was born in Paramaribo in 1905, attended secondary school there, became aware of poverty and social inequality in the 1920s, and decided to do something about it. However, his trade union activities were viewed with great suspicion by the colonial authorities, which led to his arrest in 1937, just as he was about to present a petition in favour of the working class to the governor. He was subsequently admitted ‘for observation’ to the Wolffenbuttel psychiatric clinic. That observation lasted until 1980. He died a few days after his discharge from the clinic.
Nina Jurna, a Surinamese woman living in the Netherlands, sets out to uncover the history of her great-uncle and the role of her homeland during the colonial era, making it a quest to discover her own roots as well. Director Frank Zichem brings this quest to the screen.
