Tessa Leuwsha

Fifty years after independence, Coen Verbraak examines the current state of Suriname and its future. With voices from Suriname and the Netherlands on brain drain, identity, fragile democracy, and the lasting impact of slavery. The role of the Netherlands, departure and return, care, and hope are also addressed.

A woman looks back on her life, through narration and song. In Mother Suriname – Mama Sranan, filmmaker Tessa Leuwsha uses a stream of fascinating colorized archival footage to illustrate the lives of Surinamese women like her grandmother, who was a washerwoman.

Fifty years after independence, Coen Verbraak examines the current state of Suriname and its future. With voices from Suriname and the Netherlands on brain drain, identity, fragile democracy, and the lasting impact of slavery. The role of the Netherlands, departure and return, care, and hope are also addressed.

A woman looks back on her life, through narration and song. In Mother Suriname – Mama Sranan, filmmaker Tessa Leuwsha uses a stream of fascinating colorized archival footage to illustrate the lives of Surinamese women like her grandmother, who was a washerwoman.