Indonesia Calling

In 1944 the Dutch Indies Vice-Governor offers Ivens the position of Government Film Commissioner in Indonesia. Ivens accepts, but when Holland decides to retake the colony, which has proclaimed its independence, the situation gets difficult. Ivens tenders his resignation and openly accuses his own government. These are the antecedents of Indonesia Calling, a film shot in Sydney and relating the strike of Indonesian sailors, supported by their Chinese and Australian colleagues and by the fourteen trade unions of the city, which blocked the Dutch war ships in Australia. Later on, this film “made of nothing” will be defined by Ivens as one of the most important of his career: “Indonesia Calling is the day-by-day journal of this struggle. It's the poorest film I have ever made: a thirty minutes’ shot footage for a twenty minutes’ final cut. But it is very close to the reality of the moment. For the first time I made a film I had neither foreseen nor prepared. One, I can honestly say, I had not wanted either. Indonesia Calling was realized despite me, under the pressure of events, with Indonesian militants, some dockers and sailors, journalists, students that made up for the lack of means with their enthusiasm, cunning and imagination”.