Making a movie that takes place during one of least talked about events in our national history is bound to come across some obstacles during the process. From floods to scorpion bites during production. Protesting veterans or non-co-operating governments. One of the biggest hurdles was to do justice to the different groups that relate to this story. Being limited in time on screen, it was impossible to do a deep dive into all historical characters and still tell the story of Johan (Martijn Lakemeier), a young Dutch recruit fighting in the Indonesian War of Freedom but who joining a special elite force is forced to reconsider his believes.

We teamed up with Lyangelo Vasquez of Hyper Epic, educator Jazzy Taihuttu and dedicated historian to the EAST project Edward Liddiard to create a platform on which we explore the historical backgrounds of five main characters in the film. The perspective of the Dutch soldier Johan, the Indonesian freedom fighter, civilians, the Moluccan KNIL soldiers and the Dutch government. Resulting in an online portal in which viewers can discover timelines and related subjects. The portal keeps you up to date about live events and offers specially developed educational materials and workshops for high schools. Contributing to remembering this part of our nation’s history.

Watch 2 minute casefilm The World of the East.

Watch screengrab platform The World of the East.

Package of educational materials and workshops distributed to schools throughout the Netherlands. Now becoming part of Dutch history curriculum at high schools.