The Clearing
89 minutes | 2026 | Netherlands, Indonesia | Documentary | Láadan, Indonesian, Dutch, English
SYNOPSIS
In the early 20th century Dutch colonial force turned Sumatran rainforest into vast rubber plantations. Men flocked from The Netherlands to the island to rule over contract workers under conditions akin to slavery. The open secret of women’s sexual indenture became a pilar of their machinery. A racial paradox hidden behind closed doors produced an unruly silence across generations.
SCHEDULE
CREDIT
| Production Company | near/by films |
| Producer | Manon Bovenkerk |
| Director | Sabine Groenewegen |
| Scriptwriter | Sabine Groenewegen |
| Cinematographer | Sabine Groenewegen, Juan Palacios, Jimged Sendy |
| Production Designer | - |
| Editor | Diana Toucedo |
| Main Cast | - |
| Director’s Filmography |
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| Notable Achievement | - |
| Contact | distribution@kinorebelde.com |
DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Sabine Groenewegen
Sabine Groenewegen (1985, The Hague) is a filmmaker, visual artist, and researcher. Her debut film “Odyssey” (2018)—a science fiction found footage film exploring whiteness and national imaginaries shaped by racial capitalism—premiered at Doclisboa and won the Doc Alliance Award. “Remanence” (2024) about a forgotten 1930’s women’s antifascist movement premiered at Cinema du Réel.
