Yntolerânsje
Jori(k) Amit Galama weaves together different stories in this videowork: the film takes us to Île Amsterdam, a remote island in the Indian Ocean. Five Frisian cows were once left there by colonists. From this small group, a large herd developed, which strongly changed the landscape and nature of the island.
Jori(k) Amit Galama, Yntolerânsje, 2025
One of the descendants of these cows is still alive today: a lame bull that now lives in a cattle sanctuary in Fryslân. A so-called cow whisperer tries to make contact with him, and tells us how a new spiritual relationship with these animals might emerge.
Once that contact is made, historical archival images follow about the central role of the cow in Frisian culture and identity. We see how cows and milk were spread across former colonies and became part of colonial power structures. We also see raw milk influencers, farmers’ protests and far-right ideas in which cows and raw, unpasteurised milk are tied to a white Western identity.
By placing historical and contemporary images side by side, Galama explores how dairy farming, colonial expansion and ideas about culture and identity are connected.
