They Call Me Babu (2019)
They Call me Babu is a film about native Indonesian girls working as nannies (pembantu) for colonial Dutch in a rapidly changing world in the 1940’s against the backdrop of the second world war and the struggle for independence in Indonesia. The film is told from the perspective of Alima and begins with her decision to flee from an arranged marriage to work as a pembantu for a Dutch family. Through all her new impressions and thoughts, she looks critically at colonial society and her own position. The film is told through the use of archive footage.
Runtime: 78 mins
Country: Netherlands
Film Language: Indonesia
Subtitle Language: English
Director
Sandra Beerends
Sandra Beerends is a script editor, creative producer and writer/director who works for the Dutch broadcaster NTR and runs her own company Beruang. Her work includes the script-editing of Kauwboy (2012), In Blue (2018), the writing of Arigato (2012). They Call Me Babu is her debut.
This event is part of FreedomFilmFest 2022, which is organised by Freedom Film Network (Pertubuhan Perfileman Sosial Malaysia), a non-profit society dedicated to the development and promotion of social justice and human rights films.
For more information, head over to our website freedomfilm.my