Waves of War opens Movies that Matter Festival 2023

The 15th edition of the Movies that Matter Festival will be opened on Friday 24 March by Gunay Uslu, State Secretary for Culture and Media. The festival will kick off with the world premiere of Waves of War (Kleinkinderen van de Oost) by Daan van Citters. This opening film is part of the festival’s Dutch Movies Matter competition.

Van Citters starred as an actor with Joenoes Polnaya in the feature film De Oost (Jim Taihuttu, 2021), where a close friendship developed between the two on set. In Waves of War (Kleinkinderen van de Oost), they retrace the footsteps of their grandfathers in Indonesia. They both fought for the Netherlands against Indonesian independence: Daan’s grandfather as a war volunteer, Joenoes’ as a Moluccan soldier. Their probing journey forces them to ask themselves some difficult questions about guilt, shame and transgenerational trauma. 

“Daan and Joenoes discover how an often hushed-up history has influenced who they are. Their journey confronts them with complexities of “right and wrong” and forces them to reflect on intergenerational trauma and the lasting impact of the colonial past. This film shows this in a very honest way, without condemning anyone. Apart from the topicality of the film’s subject, the strength also lies in the connection between the two friends that is almost palpable through the screen. That is what is often lacking in public debate at the moment.” – Margje de Koning, artistic director Movies that Matter.

Besides Theater aan het Spui (The Hague), the opening film can also be seen at the following satellite locations on 24 March: Filmhuis Alkmaar, Lumière (Maastricht), Louis Hartlooper Complex (Utrecht) and Verkadefabriek (Den Bosch).

About the Movies that Matter Festival

The Movies that Matter Festival is back in full force this year – after three modified editions – in the physical theatres of Filmhuis Den Haag, Theater aan het Spui and Pathé Buitenhof. This year, we will celebrate our 15-year anniversary in The Hague from 24 March to 1 April. There and at satellite locations throughout the country, urgent, moving and inspiring films will again be screened.

Ticket sales start on Thursday 9 March.