When Memory Becomes Critical Historiography: A Conversation with the Filmmakers of Eling-Eling Peniwen, a Documentary on Dutch Violence in Indonesia Hariyono & Grace Leksana

Abstract

This article develops the concept of memory activism in contexts of postcolonial and post-authoritarian societies. In Indonesia, memories of colonial violence have been (re)produced to preserve nationalist identities and to legitimize certain regimes to stay in power. However, critical youth now attempt to question these constructions. This article draws on a conversation with four young people who were involved in the documentary film Eling-eling Peniwen, a film about Dutch violence during Indonesia’s War of Independence (1945–49). While the film presents memories of the villagers and problematizes the conception of heroes in Indonesian historiography, the production process itself prompts broader reflections amongst the youth on nationalism, Indonesian historiography, and the power of film in conveying narratives of ordinary people. We conclude that in post-authoritarian contexts, memory activism is actually generated by creating spaces for ordinary people to tell their stories.