They Call Me Babu

Ze noemen me Baboe

  #memory   #work
22nd TDF: Greek Premiere

Dutch families used the word “babu” when they referred to the Indonesian nannies in their employ, during colonial rule. Their real names and their past were discarded by history and buried in oblivion. Alima, the fictional narrator of this emotionally charged documentary, gives voice to these invisible women’s countless untold stories. Alima’s recount, woven through testimonies and diaries, coincides with the turbulent period between 1939 and 1949 that witnessed WWII, the Japanese occupation of the country, and the Indonesian struggle for independence. A tale of courage, conflicting loyalties, and emancipation.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.


Direction: Sandra Beerends
Script: Sandra Beerends
Editing: Ruben van der Hammen
Sound: Mark Glynne, Tom Bijnen
Music: Alex Simu
Production: Pieter van Huystee Film
Producers: Pieter van Huijstee
Format: DCP
Color: B&W
Production Country: The Netherlands
Production Year: 2019
Duration: 80΄
Contact: Pieter van Huystee Film, info@pvhfilm.nl
Awards/Distinctions: Best Documentary – DOK.fest München 2020

Sandra Beerends

Filmography

2019 Ze noemen me Baboe | They Call Me Babu