This film is about "Indo", the Indische Nederlander, they are European- Asian groups who were born in the colonial era when Dutch ruled Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia)
They were legally classified as European, but in practice, they received discrimination from the full-blooded Dutch. The inability of the Dutch language is one of the cause, and not all Indo could enroll the Dutch schools. It's not entirely correct to classify Indo as European, because most closer to local culture than European culture. They may be more familiar with Javanese culture than European culture.
In the year 1945 social revolution erupted in the Dutch East Indies. Post-independence, a revolution carried out by the ultranationalists, they launched yells "Bersiap" and drove the colonizers from the country. Indonesian history books never wrote about "Bersiap" and what happened afterward. At the violent period, there was murder and attacks on Indo residents or who anyone who have European look. Most of Dutch- Indonesians silent about this period, and many didn't know about the atrocity.
In the year 1950-1964, there was a massive wave of migration to the Dutch. The Indo were expelled from Indonesia. Arriving in the Netherlands, they found the climate in the Netherlands were not suited to them, not to mention the additional problem: the Dutch just recovered from World War II, and they received unwelcomed guests and must compete for job. The Dutch government once again open immigration programs, and this time the dutch were migrated to America.
At present, California is one area in America that has considerable amount of third generation descendants of the Dutch Indonesian people. There are also few Indo who currently live in Indonesia, Australia, England. But most of the Indo these days are abundant in Netherlands or America.
Ver van Familie is a movie directed by Marien Bloem, tells the story of Barbie, an Indo-Dutch who returned to Holland to find her family in the Netherlands.
Family theme and multicultural atmosphere coloured the entire film. Indonesian audiences might be amused when hearing Indonesian words appeared two-three-four times in this film, or when the traditional music such as "Solo River" and "Rasa Sayange" played in the background.
It was shown that Barbie's Indo family in Netherland still practicing their Indo culture. Barbie felt alienated because she grew in America, she was more individualist, not used to the warmth of her family in the Netherlands.
Ver van Familie means "Far from the Family", this film portraited that Barbie far from her family because the considerable cultural difference, even though she was in presence of her extended family. She did not fit with Indonesian food or how she looked completely alienated during her welcome ceremony 'syukuran'. She was alone in the corner, and wanted to know where her oma was.
Her family kept Barbie distracted to meet her oma because she was dying. Her, named Emma Koenig, was a German-Javanese descent. As Barbie's father died, she stopped contact with her granddaughter, on her deathbed, she regretted the decision. In the middle of a large family who visited her in hospital, she kept thinking where was Barbie?
Koenig's family was having reunion and exhibition of their family tree. Oma Emma as the oldest and most respected figures of the family also attended the exhibition. She was constantly looking for Barbie during the exhibition, and despair because her granddaughter wasn't around,eventually she had to return to the hospital, not too long after Barbie arrived.
At the last moment, Barbie finally met her oma was walking from her patient. Barbie hugged her. Oma Emma with her last voice, teaching a song, that she must pass it to her future child. Slowly, the grandmother's voice slowed down, until oma died in Barbie's arms.
At first I was confused why this movie was not aired in Indonesia movies, or at least Jakarta Filn Festival, because there are a lot of Indonesian atmosphere and I'm sure Indonesian could relate the Indo in the movie culturally.
I thought it was a simple family movie. But I guess it's not entirely true. This film contains adult contents which might deter this movie being aired in Indonesia because of the strict censor. Kissing scene is considered inapporopriate by the censorship authority, and I wouldn't be surprised if it will be very long before we could see this movie is aired because there are too much moral polices here.
I noticed presence of foul words, smoking, homoerotica, nudity, and transvestite issues which make this film probably more suitable for 15 years old people, or older.
Barbie, for instance, was smoking almost all the time in the film, and repeatedly using "F***" in the beginning of the movies when she phoned her boyfriend who dumped her after sleeping with her.
Two of Barbie's family were pictured as homosexual. There was a homoerotic scene between two naked guys massaging each other.
Later, we were told that Barbie's father, Buddy Koenig, was portraited as a transgender and seems worked as a hostess.
These "unusual" plot twists were probably inserted to show the freedom in the Netherlands, however it made this film is not really suitable for all ages.
However the theme is unique. You couldn't find much film about Dutch- Indonesians. The adult contents were the only elements I complained from this movie. I wish the movie maker toned them down so this film is suitable for all ages.
They were legally classified as European, but in practice, they received discrimination from the full-blooded Dutch. The inability of the Dutch language is one of the cause, and not all Indo could enroll the Dutch schools. It's not entirely correct to classify Indo as European, because most closer to local culture than European culture. They may be more familiar with Javanese culture than European culture.
In the year 1945 social revolution erupted in the Dutch East Indies. Post-independence, a revolution carried out by the ultranationalists, they launched yells "Bersiap" and drove the colonizers from the country. Indonesian history books never wrote about "Bersiap" and what happened afterward. At the violent period, there was murder and attacks on Indo residents or who anyone who have European look. Most of Dutch- Indonesians silent about this period, and many didn't know about the atrocity.
In the year 1950-1964, there was a massive wave of migration to the Dutch. The Indo were expelled from Indonesia. Arriving in the Netherlands, they found the climate in the Netherlands were not suited to them, not to mention the additional problem: the Dutch just recovered from World War II, and they received unwelcomed guests and must compete for job. The Dutch government once again open immigration programs, and this time the dutch were migrated to America.
At present, California is one area in America that has considerable amount of third generation descendants of the Dutch Indonesian people. There are also few Indo who currently live in Indonesia, Australia, England. But most of the Indo these days are abundant in Netherlands or America.
Ver van Familie is a movie directed by Marien Bloem, tells the story of Barbie, an Indo-Dutch who returned to Holland to find her family in the Netherlands.
Family theme and multicultural atmosphere coloured the entire film. Indonesian audiences might be amused when hearing Indonesian words appeared two-three-four times in this film, or when the traditional music such as "Solo River" and "Rasa Sayange" played in the background.
It was shown that Barbie's Indo family in Netherland still practicing their Indo culture. Barbie felt alienated because she grew in America, she was more individualist, not used to the warmth of her family in the Netherlands.
Ver van Familie means "Far from the Family", this film portraited that Barbie far from her family because the considerable cultural difference, even though she was in presence of her extended family. She did not fit with Indonesian food or how she looked completely alienated during her welcome ceremony 'syukuran'. She was alone in the corner, and wanted to know where her oma was.
Her family kept Barbie distracted to meet her oma because she was dying. Her, named Emma Koenig, was a German-Javanese descent. As Barbie's father died, she stopped contact with her granddaughter, on her deathbed, she regretted the decision. In the middle of a large family who visited her in hospital, she kept thinking where was Barbie?
Koenig's family was having reunion and exhibition of their family tree. Oma Emma as the oldest and most respected figures of the family also attended the exhibition. She was constantly looking for Barbie during the exhibition, and despair because her granddaughter wasn't around,eventually she had to return to the hospital, not too long after Barbie arrived.
At the last moment, Barbie finally met her oma was walking from her patient. Barbie hugged her. Oma Emma with her last voice, teaching a song, that she must pass it to her future child. Slowly, the grandmother's voice slowed down, until oma died in Barbie's arms.
At first I was confused why this movie was not aired in Indonesia movies, or at least Jakarta Filn Festival, because there are a lot of Indonesian atmosphere and I'm sure Indonesian could relate the Indo in the movie culturally.
I thought it was a simple family movie. But I guess it's not entirely true. This film contains adult contents which might deter this movie being aired in Indonesia because of the strict censor. Kissing scene is considered inapporopriate by the censorship authority, and I wouldn't be surprised if it will be very long before we could see this movie is aired because there are too much moral polices here.
I noticed presence of foul words, smoking, homoerotica, nudity, and transvestite issues which make this film probably more suitable for 15 years old people, or older.
Barbie, for instance, was smoking almost all the time in the film, and repeatedly using "F***" in the beginning of the movies when she phoned her boyfriend who dumped her after sleeping with her.
Two of Barbie's family were pictured as homosexual. There was a homoerotic scene between two naked guys massaging each other.
Later, we were told that Barbie's father, Buddy Koenig, was portraited as a transgender and seems worked as a hostess.
These "unusual" plot twists were probably inserted to show the freedom in the Netherlands, however it made this film is not really suitable for all ages.
However the theme is unique. You couldn't find much film about Dutch- Indonesians. The adult contents were the only elements I complained from this movie. I wish the movie maker toned them down so this film is suitable for all ages.
