Arigato

Short film about a grandmother who meets a Japanese family while taking a walk on the beach with her granddaughter. It brings back violent memories of the occupation of the Dutch East Indies during the Second World War.

Toet spends a day on the beach with her Indonesian grandmother. A Japanese family asks granny to take a picture of them. The old lady reluctantly satisfies their request, yet the sight of the Japanese people brings back painful memories as she thinks back on the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies (1942-1945). Toet’s comforting reaction and the gesture of conciliation by the Japanese boy allow grandmother to share her ‘pain’ and make a first step towards forgiveness. The story was written by Sandra Beerends, inspires by her mother’s war experience.