Indonesia Calling
Indonesia Calling is a 1946 Australian short documentary film directed by Joris Ivens and produced by the Waterside Workers' Federation. The film depicts post-World War II Sydney as trade union seamen and waterside workers refuse to service Dutch ships (known as the "Black Armada") containing arms and ammunition destined for Indonesia to suppress the country's independence movement.[1] Ivens filming of the events taking place gradually became a symbol even for those who had not seen the film and had a growing following in the Netherlands, long before the film had an audience.
Indonesia Calling | |
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Directed by | Joris Ivens |
Written by | Joris Ivens (script) Catherine Duncan (commentary) |
Produced by | Waterside Workers Federation |
Narrated by | Peter Finch |
Cinematography | Marion Michelle |
Edited by | Joris Ivens |
Release date |
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Running time | 22 minutes |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Joris Ivens suffered persecution for his stance about the Dutch and Indonesia. Ivens had his Dutch passport seized by Dutch authorities for a few months at a time in order to monitor his whereabouts.
In 1985, the Dutch government presented Ivens with a Golden Calf. At the ceremony, the Dutch minister gave a speech and in his words, "Shortly after the war, your support for Indonesia's right to self-determination and your film Indonesia Calling brought you into conflict with the Dutch government […] I can now say that history has come down more on your side than on the side of your adversaries."
See also
References
- "Events on Australia's Film Front". The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 – 1954). Adelaide, SA. 17 August 1946. p. 9 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 11 February 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
- Murray, Scott, ed. (1994). Australian Cinema. St.Leonards, NSW.: Allen & Unwin/AFC. p. 38. ISBN 1-86373-311-6.
- Hans Schoots, Living Dangerously: A Biography of Joris Ivens (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2000)
External links
- Indonesia Calling at IMDb
- sensesofcinema.com: From Colonial Film Commissioner to Political Pariah: Joris Ivens and the Making of Indonesia Calling by Drew Cottle and Angela Keys
- 'Indonesia Calling: Joris Ivens In Australia', ABC Arts, Friday 3 December, 2010
- Indonesia Calling at National Film and Sound Archive
- Ivens.nl 'Indonesia Calling', The Legacy of Joris Ivens
- 'Joris Ivens' historic short film: Indonesia Calling' Jakarta Post, 16 August 2009
- Indonesia Calling at Oz Movies