Documentary
Duration: 1h 33m
The powerful documentary, filmed over several years, reveals the harsh reality of modern slavery on the island of Sumba in Indonesia and was created in collaboration with Estonian filmmakers: one of the film's screenwriters is Dr. Terje Toomistu - a documentarian, anthropologist and researcher at the Department of Ethnology at the University of Tartu. The film was co-produced by producer-director Marianna Kaat (Baltic Film Production), the film's composer is Timo Steiner and the sound designer is Israel Bañuelos from Estonia.
After the screening there is a Q&A with Terje Toomistu and Marianna Kaat. The main language of the talk is Estonian, however, you are invited to ask questions in English as well.
While investigating a shocking case of human trafficking, local activist Jeremy Kewuan (one of the film's directors) meets a shaman who passionately defends his ancestors' right to slavery. At the center of the conflict is an 8-year-old girl who, like other people belonging to the island's Ata class, was born into slavery. Traditionally, the Ata people are destined to serve their Maramba masters, even following them to the grave.
Jeremy's struggle with deep-rooted power structures is accompanied by visually captivating shots of the island's wild beauty and stark confrontations. The girl's release comes as a hard-fought victory in a battle that is far from over, as hundreds of people still live in lifelong slavery under the rule of the island's queen.
Country: Belgium, Estonia, Taiwan, Italy 2025
Director: Jimmy Hendrickx, Jeremy Kewuan
Language: Indonesian
Subtitles: Estonian, English
In addition, we invite everyone to visit the exhibition, On Fragile Grounds. Sirje Runge and Light, at the Kai Art Center on the same day. Sirje Runge is one of the central figures of Estonian postwar art. The exhibition traces Runge’s lifelong exploration of light, color, and perception, from her geometric experiments of the 1970s to recent large-scale projects, and reconstructs her pioneering teaching practice.
If you visit both the cinema and the exhibition on the same day, you will receive a discount (15/10). Note that the gallery is closes at 6pm, so if you wish to visit the exhibition, please come before the screening.
Kai Art Center • Peetri tänav 12, 10415 Tallinn, Harju maakond, Estonia
