They Call me Babu

Sandra Beerends, 2019

Runtime 78 minutes

Against the background of colonial history, this documentary tells the story of the Javanese Alima, 'the babu'.

Her position, as an 'almost' member of the Dutch family she works for, but belonging to the Indonesian population, at a time when the world around her is changing drastically, causes a major conflict of loyalty. Her story is told for the first time from the Indonesian perspective. It is her gaze, her voice, her story that can give the archive images that make this film a new meaning and make her 'invisible' history visible.