Indonesia Calling (1946) User Reviews

Significant documentary.

[Mozjoukine · 24 March 2007]

At the end of WW2, (some of the participants are in military uniforms) support for Dutch colonists, battling the Indonesian Independence movement, was a divisive issue and many Australian Unions declared black Dutch ships in Australian ports, which were claimed to be carrying armaments and troops to the Dutch.

The film show Indonesians, who had been living in Australia during the Japanese occupation, concerts and trade union support and a meeting address by union leader Jim Healey.

By this time, Ivens was a practiced hand and the film has a professionalism missing from the subsequent Waterside Workers Film Unit productions, made in emulation of his style by local crews. Chasing the break-away ship, manned by an Indian crew, with a launch of loud hailer protesters is a passable action high light.

Already, Peter Finch was a serious contender and his reading of the commentary sets a bench mark for these.

In the Cold War, participation in this venture was to prove an embarrassment to a number of the makers.

Union solidarity for the Indonesian nationalists

[eabakkum · 8/10 · 22 September 2010]

Ivens made this short documentary film in commission of the Waterfront Union of Australia. The content is somewhat sour to us Dutchmen. In 1945 Indonesian nationalists proclaimed the Indonesian Republic, and tried to depose the Dutch colonial government. In fact the Netherlands were willing to negotiate a deal, but they demanded that certain conditions be met. After all, the Netherlands had been a trading partner with Indonesia for more than three centuries, and this had resulted in an intertwist of economic interests. Of even greater importance was the presence of a significant amount (some hundred-thousand) of Dutchmen in Indonesia, who had become native to the land. They were in leading positions, and therefore the target of the nationalist attacks. And then there were the millions of Indonesians, who still sympathized with the colonial government. By the way, if colonial history interests you, consider seeing the Dutch film "Max Havelaar". The nationalists agreed to a deal, which included a kind of Commonwealth, and then again withdrew their agreement. The violent clashes grew, and the Dutch government sent in military troops, which were subsequently employed on military expeditions against nationalist attacks. This is where the film starts. The Indonesian sailors and Australian dock laborers tried to organize a blockade of Dutch shippings of weaponry and troops in Australian harbors. In addition they got support from some political groups of Indonesians, who during WWII lived in exile in Australia. The film is clearly produced for the purpose of propaganda, and will therefore not be to everybody's taste. Still it carries with it a message and an opinion of liberty, that merits respect. And it portrays the efforts of nationalists, that were such a contemporary phenomenon in Asia and Africa. Everywhere angry young men tried to seize power, and drive out the foreign oppressors (which were actually not that foreign, and could lean on some internal support). In a way we feel empathy. And yet, such a shock treatment is rarely successful. Indeed after the withdrawal of the Dutch colonial government the new President Soekarno experienced severe problems with Bolshevist agitations. In the end his regime was overthrown in a military coup by general Soeharto, and Soekarno soon died. Many many others were murdered. The dictatorship of Soeharto continued for decades. A Dutch Commonwealth could perhaps have been a wise guide in these turbulent times. Anyway, this is all gone and forgotten. Although perhaps an American might recognize some similarities with his later experience in Vietnam. What remains is this nice film about union solidarity and the declaration of work as tainted.