Yunjoo Kwak gives a film screening and a presentation about her film research at Makassar Biennale 2019.
Only The Ports Are Loyal To Us, 15 mins., HD, color & sound
This film reflects on the colonial history of two ports in Amsterdam and Surabaya. Both ports used to be important for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the early 19th century. The image and sound in the film allows viewers to travel through a mysterious time tunnel consisting of a montage of archival film footage, archival photography, 3D animation and direct shots taken by Kwak. A virtual camera set in the film invites viewers to travel through images ranging from colonial ships in 17th-century engraved prints, floor plans of warehouses along the IJ river, photography of the construction of the 'SS Jan Pieterzoon Coen', a ship that departed from Amsterdam and docked at the port of 'Tanjung Perak' in Surabaya.