Jam Karet: The Time is Rubber

Jam Karet is a heartfelt portrayal of a resilient generation forced to adapt. This interdisciplinary performance delves into the quest for individuality in a world that often confines us to boxes. Who do you become when you can reinvent yourself? Dani is admitted to a closed institution because she hears voices. Doctors struggle to provide a diagnosis, and during her healing process, she realizes it is not imagined figures but her repressed history that speaks to her. This lonely in-between space offers her the chance to rediscover who she truly is. ‘Jam Karet’ (translated from Indonesian as ‘the time is rubber’) offers a poignant illustration of the struggle for personal space in a country where cultures frequently collide. Within assimilated families, there is a significant taboo surrounding therapy, as being ‘different’ is often magnified. The daily task of blending two cultures can entangle one in a web of continuous adaptation. In this performance by MATZER, director Melissa Knollenburg reveals how a young generation of bi-cultural Dutch individuals attempts to relate to their past. Her characters seek connection amidst the chaos of a rapidly changing society. With her background in dance, the physical aspect - alongside language - plays a significant role in her work, allowing expression of parts of history that words cannot capture.