The past is what has been, governments cherish hush-hush policies, but history remains alive in the family memory. How do younger generations look at the making of Indonesia? What is left of the aspirations of their parents? Has the decolonization process been completed? Young writer Nukila Amal projected herself in the time and looked at the past through her father's eyes. In addition she gave her own view on history. Roaming the streets past buildings, streets and squares the Jakartan poet Zeffry Alkatiri brought images from past and present to life. In his collection Dari Batavia sampai Jakarta, 1619-1999 he describes the eventful history of the Indonesian capital. His poems were framed by historical and contemporary film and sound material about Batavia and Jakarta. Martin de Vletter of the Dutch Architecture Institute did comment on the images and talked with Zeffry Alkatiri. Joss Wibisono hosted the conversation. Dutch and English spoken. Meer details bekijken

The turning-point was reached. Indonesia was ready to go its own way. The propaganda in the film 'Old and new in Indonesia' which prepared public opinion for a swift turning over of the colony sounded grand and compelling. But was the Netherlands ready? The film from 1947 was taken out of circulation - there was opposition to its republican standpoint - and never screened. The film was introduced by Gerda Jansen Hendriks. Meer details bekijken

DJ Peter Keppy only plays 78 record discs. Music from the early years of the new Indonesia: from classical krontjong and gambang kromong to kecapi suling and tango. This music can't do without images. Alex Supartono made a selection from the photo collection of the Indonesian Press Photo Service. We saw the work of early Indonesian photo journalists, who previously worked for the Dutch and Japanese. They recorded important historical events. The Mendur brothers for instance were the only ones present when Sukarno declared independence on 17 August 1945. But they also had an eye for ordinary life. Slides from the Royal Tropical Institute, shot between 1960 and 1970 by among others B. Lawson, served as counter-images.

At the end of the evening the Jakarta Street Band played a swinging mix of krontjong and dangdut.
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Old man Sastro Atmojo is still as militant as when he was a child. A memory of the independence fighters, between past and present, disillusionment and hope. An award winning short by Eddie Cahyono (Indonesia, 2001). Introduced by Katinka van Heeren. Meer details bekijken

The Jakarta Street Band played a mix of various styles which can still be heard today in Indonesia. From krontjong to dangdut, from seriosa to Jakartan streetsongs. No folklore, but living music. Existing Indonesian songs given a face-lift: Traditionals like Bengawan Solo were rendered in Dutch. Ironically, Jakarta-based Tino Liauw sang The krontjong classic Terang Bulan in dialect. Meer details bekijken

Living in a country torn by war means making choices, choosing between right and wrong, is the general feeling. But when is 'good' good? What does the retrospective view do with these value judgements? 'During the war you just lived your life,' says Immanuel Hutajulu, 'the gentleman bandit', on the choices he never made. Actor Martijn Apituley played Immanuel's life story, written by Marije Plomp. Writer and poet Sitor Situmorang read from his story Kasim, about the well-considered choices of a perseverant civil servant. His honest objectives are not rewarded. Dutch spoken. Meer details bekijken

The turning-point was reached. Indonesia was ready to go its own way. The propaganda in the film 'Old and new in Indonesia' which prepared public opinion for a swift turning over of the colony sounded grand and compelling. But was the Netherlands ready? The film from 1947 was taken out of circulation - there was opposition to its republican standpoint - and never screened. The film was introduced by Gerda Jansen Hendriks. Meer details bekijken

(Manao Horiuchi, Japan, 1960) This film caused a storm of protest in the Netherlands and has never been screened here before. In WWII the 'good' Japanese camp commander Yamaji Tadashi governs the internment camp for women and children Kampili on Sulawesi. Cheered by the women, Yamaji is acquitted at the end of the film. The female roles are played by personnel and relatives of the American embassy in Tokyo. Dutch subtitles. With an English spoken introduction by Kaori Maekawa and Remco Raben. Meer details bekijken

The Jakarta Street Band played a mix of various styles which can still be heard today in Indonesia. From krontjong to dangdut, from seriosa to Jakartan streetsongs. No folklore, but living music. Existing Indonesian songs given a face-lift: Traditionals like Bengawan Solo were rendered in Dutch. Ironically, Jakarta-based Tino Liauw sang The krontjong classic Terang Bulan in dialect. Meer details bekijken

Languages clash and mingle in the new country. Composer Jos Janssen put poems by the famous Sundanese author Ajip Rosidi to wonderful electronic sounds. The Sundanese journalist and editor Hawé Setiawan talked to Rosidi and the Sundanese/Dutch art historian Alit Djajasoebrata - who translated the poems into Dutch - about language, decolonisation and alienation of the mother tongue. Meer details bekijken