5 Historical Films set in the Dutch East Indies, There is also a Dutch Production Film!

Kapanlagi.com - Who here falls in love with historical genre films? Many say that films with a history theme seem boring, but in reality there are still many history film enthusiasts around the world. For people who love their homeland, they must also really like historical films with themes about their country. Indonesia has produced many films based on real stories from the past, ranging from stories of independence to the history of several great kingdoms in the archipelago.

This time, many films set in the Dutch East Indies have also been produced by foreign countries, such as the Netherlands. Of course, the involvement of the Netherlands in ruling the Dutch East Indies in the past is a reason for them to produce films set in the Dutch East Indies. In addition, historical stories that are brought to the big screen are also in the form of series that are aired on HBO Asia. Cool, right?

Recent films set in the Dutch East Indies have been emerging and produced, one of the latest ones is DE OOST produced by the Netherlands and directed by Jim Taihuttu. Curious about the story? There are still many other cool historical films set in the Dutch East Indies that you can watch, what are they? Let's check them out below.

1. NATIONAL TEACHER: TJOKROAMINOTO (2015)

Guru Bangsa: Tjokroaminoto (Credit: IMDb)

The film titled NATIONAL TEACHER: TJOKROAMINOTO is a film directed by Garin Nugroho and released in 2015. This 2 hours and 41 minutes long film tells the biography of national hero Omar Said Tjokroaminoto, portrayed by Reza Rahardian. Produced by Christine Hakim, this film also stars other top actors and actresses such as Didi Petet, Christine Hakim, Ibnu Jamil, Sujiwo Tedjo, Chelsea Islan, Maia Estianty, and many others.

In this film, Tjokroaminoto works in the Dutch East Indies government affairs in Ponorogo. His heart is touched when he witnesses the injustice experienced by the indigenous people. After marrying Soeharsikin, he chooses to resign from his job and decides to move to Surabaya. While living in Surabaya, Tjokroaminoto works as a laborer and becomes involved in the SDI organization until he plays a significant role in the establishment of Sarekat Islam. In the 2015 Indonesian Film Festival, this film won 3 out of 8 nominations, including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design.

2. KARTINI (2017)

Kartini (Credit: IMDb)

As native Indonesians, we are certainly familiar with the name of one of the most influential women, Kartini. The film KARTINI was released on April 19, 2017 and directed by renowned director, Hanung Bramantyo. This film is a biography of the women's emancipation figure, R. A Kartini. The main actress in this film is Dian Sastrowardoyo who plays Kartini. In addition to Dian Sastrowardoyo, several other artists are also involved such as Reza Rahardian (Sosrokartono), Acha Septriasa (Roekmini), Ayushita (Kardinah), Adinia Wirasti (Soelastri), and Denny Sumargo (Slamet), as well as many other local artists who starred in this film.

This film tells the story of Kartini who lives and grows up seeing her mother being disregarded in her own home because she does not have noble blood. Kartini's father is unable to defy the long-standing tradition. Because of this, Kartini spends her entire life fighting for the rights of all people to eliminate differences between the common people and the noble blooded, especially in terms of education for women. She strives to establish schools for the poor and create job opportunities for many people in Jepara.

3. BUMI MANUSIA (2019)

Bumi Manusia (Credit: IMDb)

One of the films that gained popularity in 2019 was BUMI MANUSIA, which was adapted from the novel Pramoedya Ananta Toer. This film was directed by Hanung Bramantyo and co-written by Salman Aristo. BUMI MANUSIA was released alongside another historical film titled PERBURUAN on August 15, 2019. The film stars Iqbaal Ramadhan, Mawar De Jongh, Sha Ine Febriyanti, Ayu Laksmi, and several other actresses and actors.

BUMI MANUSIA tells the story of the love between two human beings who fight for their love amidst the early 20th-century colonial period. It revolves around a native Javanese young man of noble blood, Minke, and a beautiful Indo-Dutch descendant girl, Annelies. They face various rejections from all sides. Minke's father is a regent, while Annelies' mother is a Dutchman's mistress. Nyai Ontosoroh, Annelies' mother who does not receive her rightful treatment as a human being, continues to fight as a native to change her fate. Apart from the love story between Minke and Annelies, Minke's heart is touched by seeing Nyai Ontosoroh's struggle for her own rights and her people's rights.

4. BUFFALO BOYS (2018)

Buffalo Boys (Credit: IMDb)

This film is certainly not less interesting, by presenting Indonesian history with a classic-cowboy-western style, BUFFALO BOYS becomes one of the films that you must watch. This film, released in 2018, was directed by Mike Wiluan and produced by Infinite Studio in collaboration with Zhao Wei Films and Screenplay Infinite Films. This film is included as an Indonesian and Singaporean film selected to represent Singapore in the 2019 Oscars. This film stars Yoshi Sudarso, Ario Bayu, Mike Wiluan, Tio Pakusadewo, Pevita Pearce, Daniel Adnan, Mikha Tambayong, and other actors.

This film, featuring a lineup of top actresses and actors, tells the story of Dutch negotiations during the colonial era to make peace with the last rebellious sultan. Sultan Hamza (Mike Muliadro) escapes with his brother Arana (Tio Pakusadewo) and his two young children Jamar (Ario Bayu) and Suwo (Yoshi Sudarso). Sultan Hamza dies in a sudden attack and is killed by Captain Van Trach (Reinout Bussemaker). After the incident, Arana is forced to flee and go far from his homeland until he reaches the western country, America. He worked on the train with Chinese immigrants until he eventually became a cowboy riding a cow. Until one day an incident almost took Arana's life, and in the end he decided that he had to return with Jamar and Suwo to avenge the person who killed Sultan Hamza.

5. DE OOST (2020)

De Oost (Credit IMDb)

DE OOST (THE EAST) is a Dutch film directed by Jim Taihuttu. This film premiered on September 25, 2020 at the Dutch Film Festival and was released on May 13, 2021 on Prime Video. The screenplay also involved consultation on historical facts involving the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies and collaboration with Indonesian production companies. The filming period started in February 2019 in Indonesia and lasted for 48 days in Indonesia, with an additional 6 days of shooting in the Netherlands.

This 137-minute film tells the story of a young Dutch soldier, Johan De Vries (Martijn Lakemeier), who becomes a subordinate of Raymod Westerling (Marwan Kenzari) during his operation against anti-guerrilla forces in South Sulawesi. Shooting at villagers accused of being rebels traumatizes Johan and creates a sense of guilt. He begins to question the purpose of his fighting. Of course, this film also leaves a deep impression on the Indonesian people who remember the Westerling massacres in South Sulawesi.

Those are a series of films set in the Dutch East Indies, especially during the colonial period. It's a must-watch to cultivate feelings of love for the homeland and pride in Indonesian films.

Written by: Ketrine Indah Permatasari

(kpl/mag)