Signalen van Boven

n 1951, 75 years ago now, more than 12,000 Moluccan KNIL soldiers and their families were ‘repatriated’ to the Netherlands. It was intended as a temporary measure, but their stay in the cold and inhospitable Netherlands turned out to be permanent. When the KNIL soldiers were also dismissed from the Dutch army – an army they had always served with great loyalty – many felt betrayed. It is a dark chapter in history that has left deep scars on the Moluccan community.

In this documentary, director Uriël Matahelumual seeks to move beyond this dark history, and he does so by portraying Chesron Nanuru, the passionate head chef at the Moluccan-Indonesian restaurant Senang Makan in Breda. Nanuru talks to guests and colleagues about the deeper meaning of the dishes and what that says about the strength of his roots. And so the film is an ode to the importance of community, a film about food, culture and dreams. And music!