Jam Karet | The Time is Made of Rubber

Jam Karet is an honest portrayal of a resilient generation thrust into uncertain circumstances. This interdisciplinary performance explores the quest for individuality in a world that often forces people into boxes. Who do you become when you can reinvent yourself? Dani is institutionalized for hearing voices, with doctors unable to diagnose her condition. During her healing process, she realizes these aren’t imaginary figures, but echoes of her suppressed history that speak to her. This in-between space grants her the opportunity to rediscover who she can truly be. ‘Jam Karet’ (loosely translated from Indonesian as ‘the time is made of rubber’) offers a poignant look into the struggle for personal space in a society where cultures frequently clash. In assimilated families, therapy is often stigmatized, as being ‘different’ is magnified. The daily challenge of uniting two cultures can trap one in a cycle of constant adaptation. In this performance by MATZER, director Melissa Knollenburg unveils how a young generation of bi-cultural Dutch individuals attempts to connect with their past. Her characters are in search of connection amid the chaos of a rapidly changing society. With a background in dance, the physicality of the performance plays a significant role alongside language, allowing expressions of history that words often cannot convey.