Slave Island

On the Indonesian island Sumba, slavery is a living practice. Making a documentary about the subject, activist Jeremy Kewuan begins to follow the lives of three enslaved children kept by their ‘master’ Lucky. When one of the children disappears, Jeremy’s quest to eradicate human trafficking becomes very personal.

In colonial times, Sumba was famous for its slave markets, run by royal families. Nowadays these slaves still exist. They are called Ata, ‘servants’, and are owned by families from the upper caste, the Maramba. Activist Jeremy Kewuan is determined to expose and end this tragedy. He comes into contact with Lucky, a man proudly defending his right to own slaves, revealing a shocking mindset. ‘Slaves are human,’ he says, ‘but they think like animals. When a cat does something wrong, we hit it. But we still love it.’

Together with Mama Lina, who was enslaved by Lucky as a child, Jeremy starts feeling responsible for the well-being of three children working for Lucky: Witta, Rangga and Kedo. All three are severely traumatised and covered in scars from the physical abuse they suffered. When 8-year-old Witta disappears after Jeremy has brought her back to Lucky following a trip to the city, Jeremy feels very guilty. He goes on a quest to find Witta – and to ultimately confront Lucky and hold him accountable.  

Activist Jeremy Kewuan will be present at the Q&As for Slave Island at the festival.