The first Moluccans to arrive in the Netherlands were mostly soldiers serving in the KNIL (Royal Netherlands East Indies Army) and their family members. Their stay in the Netherlands was only expected to be temporary; they hoped to later return to the recently independent Indonesia where they would fight for a free Republic of South Maluku. The Dutch government thwarted their plans for diplomatic reasons, discharging these soldiers from the army. Going back to their Moluccan mother island, Nusa Ina, was no longer an option for them.
Now in his 60s, Loey Tamaëla is the son of a now-deceased KNIL Sergeant Major. In this short film, he talks about this painful past and its effect on him and his family. His father’s battle for the Republic has become his own—this theme runs through almost all Moluccan families in the Netherlands. The look in his eyes when he talks of his impossible longing to return to the house where he was born makes his sense of rootlessness all too palpable. The family archive footage is remarkable and atmospheric, as is the music in this sharply drawn portrait.
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