Throughout these years, Alima is a loyal and loving nanny, but at the same time she remains true to her lover Riboet, who is an independence fighter.
Director Sandra Beerends, who is of Indonesian and Dutch heritage, tells the story of Alima from uniquely Indonesian and feminist perspectivesThey Call me Babu is a documentary about native Indonesian girls working as nannies (pembantu) for colonial Dutch in a rapidly changing world in the 1940’s against the backdrop of the second world war and the struggle for independence in Indonesia.

They call me Babu shows the importance of documentary films.” – Het Parool

“A unique and moving experience.” – Trouw, ★★★★

“They call me Babu gives Indonesian nannies from the past a voice.” – De Volkskrant, ★★★★

“Using beautiful excerpts from 179 films, director-screenwriter Sandra Beerends tells the story of Alima.” – NRC, ★★★★

“They Call Me Babu is a unique collage that is much stronger than the mere sum of its parts.” Cineuropa

“They Call Me Babu brings us back in time with its powerful scenes and narrative”
Tempo (Indonesian Magazine)

Business Doc Europe: “A mesmerising journey through space, history and emotions, carefully and lovingly crafted from found footage… an astounding piece of cinema combining personal stories and history, teaching us new perspectives and universal truths and engaging all our senses, including the heart.” (link: https://businessdoceurope.com/idfa-review-the-call-me-babu/)

Cineuropa review: “Encompassing themes such as self-determination, women’s rights and oppression, They Call Me Babuis a valuable document allowing us to rethink the way we view history. Beerends, who partly has Indonesian roots herself, managed to wipe the footage clean and remove decades’ worth of dust to show us its striking relevance.” (link: https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/381930/)

They Call me Babu was selected for many of the world’s core documentary events, including  IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam),  Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, FIPADOC (Biarritz) and Sydney Film Festival Europe! Voices of Women.

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