Dancer Cheroney Pelupessy travels with her taciturn mother from Jakarta to the Moluccas. In the documentary Mama'ku, you explore how they cope together with migration, domestic violence, and intergenerational trauma. Showing at De Balie in Amsterdam.
A journey to a hidden past
Documentary filmmaker Sven Peetoom has been exposing the consequences of the suppression of Dutch colonial history in Indonesia for years. In Mama'ku, he follows choreographer and dancer Cheroney Pelupessy, who makes the journey to Jakarta for the first time with her mother. That is the place where Cheroney's mother grew up, but about which she always remained anxiously silent. What begins as a search for a forgotten family history unfolds into a poignant portrait of migration, domestic violence, and intergenerational trauma in Indo-Dutch and Moluccan families.
Connection beyond words
Through movement, memory, and conversation, Cheroney attempts to connect with a woman who has learned to protect herself through restraint. Once in Indonesia, a language beyond words slowly emerges, with room for grief, resilience, and tenderness. The film shows how mother and daughter confront her traumatic past together and, in doing so, grow closer.
Pre-film Sudah
Before Mama'ku, you will see the short film Sudah by filmmaker Aldo Agaatsz. In it, Senna, from Manado, makes a trip to Indonesia for the first time. She tries to connect with her mother Annie and other family members, in search of her family history and origins. Together, both films explore the mother-daughter relationship within Indonesian and Moluccan culture. You can watch Mama'ku at De Balie in Amsterdam.
