Indonesia was a Dutch colony for more than 350 years. After the Second World War, around 350,000 Dutch Eurasians and other people from the former Dutch East Indies came to the Netherlands, their new homeland, where they quietly sought to rebuild their lives.
The first generation focused primarily on integrating into Dutch society and is the last generation with first-hand memories of the Dutch East Indies. The second generation draws on their parents' memories of tempo doeloe—the nostalgic recollection of life in the former Dutch East Indies—and forms a bridge between the first and later generations, as well as between the Netherlands and Indonesia.
The third generation is exploring its cultural heritage and the country of its ancestors, seeking to understand what has been passed down through the generations and what it means today.
In this documentary, director Claire Pijman follows a new generation of creatives as they reinterpret a shared cultural heritage in their own unique ways. At fashion studio Guave, Myrthe Groot and Romee Mulder transform traditional batik into contemporary fashion. DJ, photographer and record label founder Sekan breathes new life into Indonesian pop music from the 1970s and 1980s through his label Jiwa2. Culinary artist Vanja van der Leeden looks beyond the familiar rijsttafel, while the acclaimed band Nusantara Beat builds bridges between languages, musical styles and generations through its music.
Working together with artists from Indonesia, they reveal a story of identity, cultural exchange, and the ongoing process of finding new meaning in a shared inheritance.
Director: Claire Pijman
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