The Promise

In the 1960s, the former Dutch colony of West Papua was on the path to independence. However, international interests, geopolitical power dynamics, and economic motives decided otherwise. With unique and innovatively restored archival material, The Promise brings history to life and reveals how an entire people continues to suffer to this day.

While the Netherlands prepared for the independence of Dutch New Guinea, Indonesia resisted, leading to an armed conflict with the former colonizer. Under pressure from the United States and the United Nations, the territory was transferred to Indonesia in 1962 without consultation with the Papuan population. In a so-called Act of Free Choice, the Papuans were promised a referendum to determine their own future, but this proved to be a sham. Since then, Papuans in Indonesia have been systematically persecuted, oppressed, and murdered in what is called one of the most ignored genocides in the world. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, *The Promise* masterfully shows how the future of West Papua was shaped not only on the political stage, but also in diplomatic backrooms and by powerful corporations that prioritized economic interests over human rights. To this day, vast quantities of natural resources from West Papua are exported by international companies.

Through poignant stories of Papuans in exile and their struggle for recognition, director Daan Veldhuizen paints a painful picture of how colonialism gave way to neocolonialism—and how the world remained silent.