From Oeroeg to De Oost: Critical discourse analysis of character representations in Dutch films taking place in Indonesia

In this thesis, four films taking place in Indonesia during the Dutch colonisation have been analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis. The primary objective is to explain the representations of the characters and their relationships while aiming to uncover the underlying meaning. All of the films revolve around white male protagonists, who are characterised by naivety and trying to do something ‘good’ for Indonesia. When taking a deeper look, the white characters represent Dutch whiteness: the notion of innocence while at the same time both othering people of colour and othering within whiteness. This innocence and naivety seem to shield both the characters, as well as Dutch society from acknowledging both racism and the violence in their colonial past.