“I like the theme ‘personal stories, national history’. This theme pushes me to learn more about my family’s history and about my country.”
- Aziz

My Story, Shared History is a project, organized by DutchCulture, Indisch Herinneringscentrum, Komunitas Salihara and the Netherlands’ Embassy in Jakarta, as part of Literature and Ideas Festival (LIFEs Jakarta), Indonesia Now: Jakarta edition (Amsterdam) and Indie Next (Den Haag).

The participating artists of the project “My story, shared history”, explore the relationships between The Netherlands and Indonesia through the theme ‘personal stories, national histories’.

Singer, writer and performing artist Esmay Usmany from the Netherlands and Indonesian actor Aziz Azthar, who lives and works in Jakarta, explain what Jakarta means to them and who inspires them.

Commissioned by DutchCulture
Video: Armando Ello
Interview: Ardjuna Candotti (Indisch Herinneringscentrum)