“Wet Earth, Warm People” was produced in 1971 by Australian filmmaker Michael Rubbo for the National Film Board of Canada and is absolutely worth watching for anybody interested in a look at what Jakarta was like 45 years ago.

Rubbo was sent to Jakarta to document the lives of the people living in the capital (and its surrounding areas) and he does capture a sense of what life was like for many people here at that time. Much of the film focuses on the way the capital was transitioning into modernity – one of the narrative threads is about the outlawing of becaks by then Governor Ali Sadikin (who is interviewed in the film).

Rubbo decides to insert himself and his crew into the film’s narrative, and a lot of it is explained through the lens of his confusion and overwhelment (if you think bules attract undue attention now, imagine the kind of reactions a bule filmmaker and his crew would get in 1971).

But Rubbo is also self-aware of how limited his understanding of Indonesia is and tries to maintain an open mind throughout. The result is a film filled with both wonder at what he is seeing and a longing for greater understanding.

Seen through the lens of modern day, it’s remarkable to see how much Jakarta has changed, but also how much it hasn’t. It’s quite shocking to see the empty land sitting next to Hotel Indonesia, as well as the legalized gambling operations that existed there at the time (!). But it’s also comforting to see that the warmth of the people here remains much the same – and a lot of the roads were macet even back then too.

H/T to redditor Sanzo84 on r/Indonesia for the great find!

A version of this article is available in Bahasa Indonesia at our sister site Coconuts Indonesia.

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