The East - Official Trailer

Follow The East

During the post-WW2 Indonesian War of Independence, a young Dutch soldier joins an elite unit led by a mysterious captain known only as “The Turk.” When the fighting intensifies, the young soldier finds himself questioning - and ultimately challenging - his commander’s brutal strategy to stop the resistance.

Available Everywhere August 13
Starring: Martijn Lakemeyer, Marwan Kenzari, Jonas Smulders
Directed by: Jim Taihuttu

[TheBorg]

Small history info - On 17 August 1945, nationalist leaders in Indonesia declared independence following the defeat of Japan in World War II. The Netherlands, which had previously occupied the country for 350 years, promptly re-invaded and spent the next four years engaged in a brutal war to reconquer its former colony. Perversely, they attempted to justify their invasion as a continuation of the WWII fight for "democracy" against Japanese fascism. Dutch forces were backed up by 30, 000 British troops (mostly from India), and they killed up to 100, 000 Indonesian fighters as well as tens of thousands of civilians, many of them in mass, summary executions. There were also conflicts within the nationalist ranks: when an Indonesian Soviet Republic was declared by socialists and communists in 1948 it was quickly suppressed by the nationalists, and its leader killed. Eventually, despite a string of military victories by the colonists, by 1949 they were forced to grant Indonesian independence.

[imtryingmybesttolivewell]

this movie, overall, if you expect somekind of rough battlefield thing, I warn you: It's not. It tells you a lot about the main character and what surrounds him during that time. For me it's not that dark, but it has such a depressing ending despite all that great sceneries, music, and even everyone in this film did their best for every details of it. That just proof how good this film is. Amazing!

[Gkm-]

Found this by accident on a streaming service and it did not disappoint. The character development was strong, the action sequences were nice, and the ending was phenomenal.

[RGMRT]

Gramps was a Heiho recruited from East Nusa Tenggara. When the first allied wave came his superiors were still calm and tells them that it's nothing but some surprise strike from the allies. Later hw found out from his native indonesian officer that the heihos would be deployed as a cannon fodder in the upcoming second wave, and along with his other 15 friends decided that it's not worth it. Man ran away snagging one of the tanto of the japanese soldier and one bolt-action arisaka rifle, and that thing was buried with him back in 1993.

[TheTibetyak]

The many comments added in with snippets of the history behind this are quite fascinating. It also begs the question of "Can't we all just get along?" Apparently not.

[vk-zdqq]

Dutch were too mild just look what TNI did to us after Dutch gone.

[hansemmen]

My Opa and groote opa fought the Japanese in Indonesia, my opa fought in this conflict as well.

[aaafrzlll]

Terima kasih for acknowledging the history. What a brave team to even write the script. 🧡

[vk-zdqq]

Papua Merdeka
Maluku Merdeka
Aceh Merdeka
Mena Muria ✊👊
Freedom..

[kamilksiazek]

The paradoxical thing is that once Indonesia became independent, it did exactly the same to the West Papua, enslaving their inhabitants.

[Cna_asia]

I have a lot more sympathy for Captain Westerling after seeing this Indonesian propaganda movie. ❤Westerling

[TLCTLC-cgcm]

Stop making dumb outdated movies about the Dutch to cover up the crimes Indonesian military is committing in Papua. Only a few days ago TNI deployed 1250 Nazis to suppress Papuan independence fighters.
Stop diverting attention from Indonesian crimes with such propaganda movies about Dutch.
When Indonesia for a fact is much MUCH worse.

[vk-zdqq]

TNI continued to m+rder the entire Archipelago into an artificial hegemony.

[TLCTLC-cgcm]

Stop making dumb movies about the Dutch when 🇮🇩 is MUCH much worse..

[TLCTLC-cgcm]

Raymond Westerling was actually part of the Dutch resistance and British SOE. During WW2, he was fighting against German and later Indonesian Nazis.

[leunoff]

After the end of World War II, the peoples of Indonesia revolted against the Dutch and British colonialists. During the 1945-1949 war, Indonesia gained independence, losing about 100, 000 people killed, most of whom were civilians who became victims of the butchery policy of the Dutch who tried to drown the uprising in blood, but received many years of guerrilla warfare on several islands with which they they could not do anything.

[lusydiel]

The story is about a boy who his father was arrested for being Nazi, he sign up for military thinking he would do something good for the country then he find thw truth Netherlands was doing the same as nazi to indonesia

[AM.]

I have no doubt those who talked shit about this movie haven't actually seen it 🤡👍🏼

[widhiantara]

Well, almost original, except for the music in the local market, they are using Balinese music in the background in Javanese local market (bali and java island is separated) Love The Cinematography Though.

[Cna_asia]

Allegedly Westerling the Hero was called the Turk and Ratu Adil by the villagers he had protected in Java. He was a mix Dutch Greek who's family had been living for generations in Turkey. He spoke 5 languages fluently, Turkish French English and some other. Every language except Dutch (his mother tongue). His signed up to fight for the Netherlands in WW2..to the discontent of his Father. The Dutch government eventually betrayed him and everyone else. By kneeling down to the Indonesian dictators.
End of story.