Visual Anthropologist
About the ‘Ondel Ondel’ Project
Mai-Lu has been interested in different cultural conventions and knowledge systems from an early age. She remembers when she was younger, she was amazed by the family customs of her friends and classmates.
For the master’s thesis in anthropology, Mai-Lu was interested in Indonesia’s capital change from Jakarta to Nusantara. However, this project’s scope was too big. Her focus therefore shifted towards Jakarta and its inhabitants. What effect would the idea of a relocation have on them?
That is how she came across the Betawi, the indigenous peoples of Jakarta. She realized along the way that their story was not so much about the upcoming relocation, but more about the relocations in the past.
‘Ondel Ondel’ was produced by Mai-Lu Ensink in 2024 as part of the Master Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CADS) with a specialization in Visual Ethnography at Leiden University.
Ondel Ondel
The displacement of the Betawi after Indonesia’s independence is an example of how processes of evictions in urban cities led to the essentialization of the indigenous culture and a loss of heritage. Urban displacement of Indigenous peoples can cause spatial dispersion, which can break their community’s cohesion apart, which in turn can result in a loss of knowledge and identity.
‘Ondel Ondel’ raises questions concerning the perseverance of the Betawi within Jakarta after their evictions. The film follows Yahya, Opan, Shafira, Nabila, and Suryadi, uncovering how they adapted to their new environments. While the viewer discovers each person’s way of expressing their heritage, part of their identity is unveiled.
‘Ondel Ondel’ argues that urban displacement negatively impacts the identity of the Betawi since they lost their collective legitimacy for a common identity. The story of the Betawi foregrounds the broader issues of displacement, community, and culture in a postcolonial and urbanized country.
About the ‘Hands of the Wind’ Project
For this film project Dante, Anne, Xanthe, and Mai-Lu are diving into the practice of shamanism. A few years ago Martin started his own healing practice in his backyard and home.
He has told them that the realm of spirituality involved in shamanism is nearly impossible to describe with words, as its meaning derives mainly from emotions. Therefore, while they use words as an attempt to talk about the spiritual world, it is important to keep in mind that its cultural understanding is more profound than that.
‘Hands of the Wind’ was produced by Dante Cornille, Anne Pronk, Xanthe Wijzenbroek and Mai-Lu Ensink in 2022 as part of a Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CADS) project at Leiden University.
Hands of the Wind
What is the embodied experience of a shamanic ritual? How does it feel? What happens?
'Hands of the Wind' dives into the practice of shamanism in Oldenzaal and lets you experience a shamanic healing ritual guided by Martin Adolfsen, a Dutch Mongolian shaman.
The nature of a healing ritual can be intimate and intense, as a client undergoes a series of healings for personal traumas and connects with the shaman on a spiritual level. This short film makes use of an 8D auditory soundscape for a fully emerged experience, see and hear for yourself what journey lies ahead of you.
Disclaimer 1
8D audio works only with headset headphones, not with in-ear headphones. So please use headset headphones while watching!
Disclaimer 2
In this short film, you as the viewer, are asked to close your eyes. When the first rattle is over you can open your eyes again. This is for an immersive effect and is totally optional. You can leave your eyes open if that is more comfortable, you will see a black screen.
