The Promise
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A forgotten struggle, a lost future. In the 1960s, it seemed that West Papua would gain independence. But international interests, geopolitical power relations and economic profit considerations decided otherwise. With unique and impressively restored 35mm archival footage, The Promise brings this history back to life and reveals how a people were systematically betrayed and oppressed.
Against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film shows how the future of West Papua was determined not only in diplomatic back rooms, but also by business, where influential Western elites, including Prince Bernhard, seemed to put economic interests above human rights. While the vast mineral resources of West Papua continue to be mined to this day by mostly Western companies, the indigenous people are systematically oppressed.
With gripping narratives...
A forgotten struggle, a lost future. In the 1960s, it seemed that West Papua would gain independence. But international interests, geopolitical power relations and economic profit considerations decided otherwise. With unique and impressively restored 35mm archival footage, The Promise brings this history back to life and reveals how a people were systematically betrayed and oppressed.
Against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film shows how the future of West Papua was determined not only in diplomatic back rooms, but also by business, where influential Western elites, including Prince Bernhard, seemed to put economic interests above human rights. While the vast mineral resources of West Papua continue to be mined to this day by mostly Western companies, the indigenous people are systematically oppressed.
With gripping stories of Papuans in exile and their struggle for recognition, director Daan Veldhuizen in The Promise paints a painful picture of how colonialism gave way to neocolonialism - and how the world remained silent.