Dutch movie ‘They Call Me Babu’ wins the ‘special mention’ award at the Jakarta Independent Film Festival 2021.
The nominated film is a documentary composed of unique archive footage, which tells the story of a young woman who worked as a nanny in the former Dutch colony of Indonesia. Director Sandra Beerends, who is of Indonesian and Dutch heritage, tells the story of Alima, who is the loyal and loving nanny, from uniquely Indonesian and feminist perspectives.
Sandra about her inspiration, “I have a Dutch-Indonesian background, my father is Dutch and my mother was born in the former Dutch East Indies. When I was growing up, she used to tell me many stories about her childhood, amongst which about her “babu”. And about how from the moment she woke up until she went to bed, the babu was always there to take care of her. When I became a bit older, I realised that many people I knew that had been brought up in the former Dutch East Indies, had heart-warming stories about their babus.”(source Dutchculture, read the full interview here)
The Jakarta Independent Film Festival showcases stories of different genres, styles, and from different countries to capture the imagination, talent, and diversity of independent filmmakers. This ‘special mention award’ is a recognition of having met the highest standard of excellence.
