INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL KUCHING
2019
7 - 12 July 2019 The Old Court House,Kuching
Photography credited to David Metcalf
FOREWORDS BY JOE SIDEK
DIRECTOR OF RAINFOREST FRINGE FESTIVAL
We are very excited about working with David Metcalf and Emmanuela Shinta having discovered the Indigenous Film Festival that they started and wanting to have Sarawak as part of the circuit. We had run the South East Asia’s platform for TROPFEST INTERNATIONAL Short Film Festival in 2014 and 2015and have always felt a need to have filmmakers from this region getting an International Platform to show their films and also have interesting dialogues. Rainforest Fringe Festival in our 3rd year is rolling out this Indigenous Film Festival alongside INK Kuching Tattoo showcase also inviting International participants to share this journey of Indigenous stories, ideas and deisgns. I would like to thank David and Emmanuella for agreeing to let us be part of this ‘family” so film makers from Sarawak can help in connecting the dots that we share. I would also like to thank all the film makers who are coming and those who have allowed their films to be screened.A final thank you to Ms Peggy Chou from TECO who shares our belief in connecting the dots by partnering us and bringing in the Taiwan’s contigent to support this Festival.
DAVID METCALF
CO FOUNDER OF BALI INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL
I would to thank Joe Sidek and the Sarawak Tourism Board for the opportunity to include Indigenous Films in this years Rainforest Fringe Festival for the first time. Over the six days we will be presenting films from many different countries and covering a variety of subjects which give indigenous people the opportunity to tell their stories. I think Kuching is an ideal location to present indigenous films and for film makers to gather and discuss many very important subjects and to make connections with other film makers so the voice becomes louder and louder and we start to see positive outcomes in terms of creating effective strategies for positive change. Another objective of the indigenous film festival is to support young film makers and encourage them to work together to develop the skills needed to produce documentary films that matter.We hope that in future years ,films made by indigenous film makers and about indigenous issues and communities will gain the attention and focus that they deserve and will be well received in Malaysia, Indonesia and across the region.
EMMANUELA SHINTA
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RANU WELUM FOUNDATION
Once I had an interviewer ask me, “So, you are an indigenous filmmaker. How did you get the budget for your film?” I was surprised eventhough it was’t the first time someone asked me that question. I replied, “People make films because they have funding. We make films because we have stories.” The videos and films that we will watch during the festival are coming from different tribes and nations. There is so much to learn and experience from the wisdoms that is shared through a digital platform. However, it is important for everyone to note that we are not telling the stories about indigenous people, but for indigenous people. Some stories may be comforting, some maybe entertaining and others may be surprising. But every story matters. Only by challenging the existing narrative, we can relate to the struggles of the communities and how storytelling is a tool to deliberate and decolonize, so we can rewrite together the collective story of our shared future. I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to prepare this festival; Joe Sidek and team, Ranu Welum and team, film makers, and you. We are excited for the next six days. We share. We listen. We learn. We change.
RANU WELUM FOUNDATION In the mid of various problems of human right violation and environmental destruction that faced by us, the original people of Kalimantan, culture as identity has become the strength for us to not be silent and do nothing but to rise and take action. Young generation plays a very important role in shaping the future of a nation. In this age where modernism has infiltrated indigenous communities in many ways, there is a big gap between the youth and the elders which leads to a disconnection of younger generation to their cultures. On the other hands, industrialization that occurs rapidly following the infrastructure building in the areas of indigenous communities and causes the big loss of the forest has been threatening the lives and existence of indigenous people. These challenges cannot be overcome by spears and swords just like the ancestors did in the past. One big weapon is needed urgently right now. Young people have been equipped with education, technology and skills. This is the time for the youth to come back to their roots and use their power to build their communities.
7 10:00AM - 12:00PM
Opening Marie’s Dictionary Behind The Bayano Children of the Sun Yokun Kings Canoe of Life Corraboree
2:00PM - 5:00PM India section
Shot Awake: The Making of Changlangsu’s New Log Drum Strength in Diversity Dibi Durga Niyamgiri: Mountain of Law
Screening & Panel Discussion with Filmmakers: Anungla Zoe Longkumer Niranjan Kumar Kujur Surya Shankar
7:30AM - 10:00PM Sarawak & Maori section
Iman Untuk Bulan The Gravedigger of Kapua
Q & A with Filmmaker: Libby Hakaraia
8 10:30AM - 12:00PM
Kayan – Beyond the Rings Sea Salt Ngelimbang Once Upon a Time in Yogyakarta
2:00PM - 5:00PM Indigenous Initiative
Handep Haruei Sekolah Adat Arus Kualan Onet’s Adventure: Bentangkan Darah Digital Story Telling
Sreening & Panel Discussion Plorentina Dessy Marlensia Emy Brenda Danker
7:30PM - 10:00PM Papua New Guinea
Aliko and Ambai
Q&A with Filmmaker
9 10:30AM - 12:00PM Canada Section
Wapikoni Films: Rien Sur Les Mocassins Kitci Nehirowiskwew (La Grande Dame Atikamekw) It’s Me Landon The Three Sisters Community Garden Aitun (Coutumes) Nous Nous Soulèverons (We Will Rise) Nuhe nenë boghílníh (Protégeons nos terres | Protecting our Homeland) Traditional Healing
Screening Q&A
2:00PM - 5:00PM Kalimantan section
MTV News: Guardian of the Forest When Women Fight pt.2 The Kahayan River in Dilemma
Screening & Disscussion Emmanuela Shinta Founder of Ranu Welum Foundation
7:30PM - 10:00PM Kalimantan section
Long Sa’an Mali Umai Ngera’ Karungut
Screening & Panel Discussion with Filmmakers: Erick Est Kynan Tegar Timotius Sumarni
Inside Sack Mamapolitan Di Penjara Generasi Kayu Lapuk
Screening & Panel Discussion with Filmmakers: Yonri Revolt Agustina Helena Kobogau Assa Asso
10 10:30AM - 12:00PM West Papua Section
Video Showcase Rawe 2:00PM - 5:00PM Group Discussion Youth Act (Film & Video Showcase & Discussion) 9:00PM - 11:30PM Feature Film
Seen & Unseen Profit and Loss
11 10:30AM - 12:00PM
Video Showcase Shinta (US & Kyoto) Book Launch Cultural Performance & Story Telling
2:00PM - 5:00PM Taiwan section
Musical Healer of the Land Millets Back Home Ça Fait Si Longtemps
7:30PM - 10:00PM Feature Film
The Song Keepers Small Island Big Song
12 10:30AM - 12:00PM Malaysia Section
Tak Sampai The Story of Kam Agong
Panel Discussions 2:00PM - 5:30PM
RanuWelum Wapikoni Papuan Voices Video Republik Suara Saya, Cerita Saya Nagaland Film School Africa Pakeriran
Q & A with Filmmakers: Ado Kelinting Pacidal Sayun Simung Laha Mebow
About International Indigenous Film Festival Kuching 2019 With the theme “stories that matter�, the film festival serves as a platform for regional and international indigenous filmmakers to showcase their work, to form collaborations and networks, and to be able to reach out to a wider audience. Using film as a medium to promote and tell the stories of indigenous communities, the festival is a series of screenings, workshops for young filmmakers, dialogues with prominent indigenous filmmakers and networking sessions running throughout RFF 2019. Indigenous Film Festival Kuching is curated by the organizers and founders of the Bali International Indigenous Film Festival [BIIFF], Emmanuela Dewi Shinta and David Metcalf in collaboration with RFF2019. David Metcalf Travelling, writing and photographing is the way David Metcalf has found his way around Indonesia for the past 18 years. Bali resident and internationally acclaimed photographer, David Metcalf uses the power of photographs to educate and encourage positive social change. Emmanuela Dewi Shinta With a reputation for leading and empowering young people, Emmanuela Shinta is a Dayak leader, activist, filmmaker and writer whose work is widely known in Asia Pacific. She is the founder of Ranu Welum Foundation, ALIVE Global Ministry, and EL Creative Production.
CREATIVE FILMS Traditional Healing by Raymond Caplin Mi’gmaq/Canada A young woman dances in a devastated forest. Then a miracle occurs.
Dibi Durga by Niranjan Kumar Kujur India She cooks, she cleans, she works in the fields, she works in the forest. Her responsibilities never end. Dibi Durga is the story of every woman in rural India.
Ngelimbang by Rian Apriyansah Bangka, Indonesia Andre is a child who lives on Bangka island. Andre envy of his friends who use mobile phones. Everyday after school Andre begin to earn money by minning tin. This film is taken from the life story of the directors's childhood. Once Upon a Time in Yogyakarta by Dwi Saputro Indonesia Sarjono is an old farmer who has been farming for decades in the region of Yogyakarta. This film shows the process of an old farmer working his rice field, step by step, from cultivating his land to harvest. Onet’s Adveture “Nyumai Terebus Kampung” by Marlensia Emy Kalimantan, Indonesia Forest is our home. Forest can provide many things. Even though peat forest has given us a special ingredient, it is “Tepus” flower. A flower with distinctive fragrance, mixed with grilled fish. It becomes our traditional food from Borneo called “URAP”. Sekolah Adat Arus Kualan by Sekolah Adat Arus Kualan/Plorentina Dessy Elma Thyana Country/Tribe : West Kalimantan Indonesia Sakolah Adat Arus Kualan was legitimately founded on September 3rd, 2018. Sakolah AdatArus Kualan provides non-formal education that teaches students through Dayak culture, traditions,and knowledge. Spiritual knowledge, traditional games, local languages, traditional cooking and medicine, Dayak wisdom, traditional music, songs and dance, traditional handicrafts, and traditional stories are all taught there.
SHORT VIDEO Kayan - beyong The Rings by Marko Randelovic Thailand This film shows the truth behind the negative media headlines of the Kayan people of Northern Thailand’s so-called ‘long-neck’ villages. The media portrays a certain angle, but should we not let the Kayan people decide whether they want people to visit them or not?
Kitci Nehiroeiskwew by Élisa Moar et Sipi Flamand Atikamekw, Canada According to Atikamekw-Nehirowisiw women, governance must be in harmony with the Nitaskinan (the land). Kokom Cotit managed her family’s territory according to this principle.
Aitun(Coutumes) by Kevin Bellefluer Innu/Canada Josephis and Nashtash, an elderly couple from La Romaine, share their knowledge of Innu culture through the practice of plucking and preparing ducks.
Sea Salt by George Speirs Bali Sea salt is one of Bali's locally produced natural products. Still farmed traditionally, as it has been for generations, this produce relies on only a few things: the sea, the sand, the sun and the sweat of local farmer. Handep Haruei by Randi Julian Miranda Kalimantan, Indonesia Handep Haruei is an agriculture-based social enterprise dedicated to produce, preserve and create added value for locally-grown and forest-based produce – such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. The phrase “Handep Haruei” is borrowed from the Dayak Ngaju dialect.
The Three Sisters Community Garden by Zachary Greenleaf Mi’gmaq/Canada With the help of his friends, Zachary Greenleaf, a young Mi’gmaq from Gesgapegiag, tries to reintroduce the “three sisters” (white corn, squash and beans used in Indigenous gardens) in his community.
It’s Me Landon (C’est Moi, Landon) by Landon Moise Short Video Dénée/Canada Eight-year-old nature enthusiast Landon Moise takes us on a tour of his favourite forested spots in his home community of Clearwater River Dene Nation in Northern Saskatchewan. Along the way, he tells us why it’s important for us to preserve the environment we live in. Nuhe nenë boghílníh (Protégeons nos terres | Protecting our Homeland) Ashton Janvier Short Documentary Denée, Canada This film wants to inspire the young generation to start caring about our lands and culture while raising awareness about the ravages of uranium mining in Patterson lake, SK. MTV News: Guardians of the Forest by Rory Moon Kalimantan, Indonesia Forest fire and toxic haze have been happening in Kalimantan since 1997. MTV News covers the stories and efforts of these heroes to save their forest and protect their people. Nous Nous Souleverons (We Will Rise) by Natasha Kanape Fontaine Pessamit/Canada In an inspired and powerful text, the talented Innu poet Natasha Kanapé Fontaine invites us to rise to bring light to the world.
FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARIES Corroboree by Luke Barrowcliffe Long Documentary Aboriginal Australia Corroboree’s have happened for many thousands of years in Australia. The Gunni Thakun Cultural Association hosts an annual singing and dancing showcase to raise awareness within NSW communities of cultural Lore and custom in practice, and to heal country.
Shot Awake: The making Of Changlangsu’s New Log Drum by Anungla Zoe Longkumer Long Documentary Nagaland, India After a gap of fifty seven years the Shajung Morung of the Konyak village of Changlangshu decided to carve a new log drum for themselves. Although preparations for the task started in 1999, it was only in 2013 when they could host the grand event of acquiring their new log drum. Niyamgiri: Mountain of Law by Surya Shankar Short Documentary India The Dongria Kondh are an indigenous community with a population of 8,000 people residing in the sacred forested hills of Niyamgiri (Odisha, India). For nearly two decades the community has been engaged in a desperate campaign to save their sacred lands from being taken over by bauxite mining companies Strength In Diversity by Chentei Khiamniungan Short Documentary India, Nagaland A film by Chentei about his grandmother and how she grows her millet. This film gives some insight into stress-resistant crops, the value of traditional agriculture and inherent knowledge within the community
When Women Fight Pt.2 By Emmanuela Shinta Short Documentary Kalimantan, Indonesia. This film is the sequel and updates from When Women Fight 1 after forest fire and haze crisis in 2015 which made thousands of Orang Utan died of starvation and thousands of people hospitalized due to smoke inhalation. It tells our effort to do campaign to raise awareness about this, educate students, visit the villages, forming youth firefighter team.
Canoe of Life by Eriberto Gualinga Long Documentary Equador As a symbol of the Living Forest – Kawsak Sacha – the Kichwa People of Sarayaku, from an old cedar tree of their land, the Amazon of Ecuador, built a canoe to, in a motion of reconquest and decolonization, bring it to the Conference of the Parties held in Paris in 2015, the COP 21.
Children Of The Sun by Jeffrey Huamanchiq Wium Short Documentary Country : USA Children of the sun chronicles the healing and purification processes of the Andean-Inkan celestial maestros to help awaken humanity and prepare us to engage the new era on Earth.
Seen and Unseen by Kamila Andini Long Documentary Bali, Indonesia One day in a hospital room, Tantri (10 years old) realizes that she will not have a long time along with her twin brother, Tantra. Tantra’s brain weakens and he starts to lose his senses one by one. Tantra is now spending most of his time lying in the hospital room while Tantri has to accept the reality that she has to face life alone. This situation opens up something in Tantri’s mind. Tantri keeps waking up in the middle of the night from a dream and seeing Tantra. The night becomes their playground.
KARUNGUT SUMARNI Short Documentary Kalimantan, Indonesia Karungut is traditional music from Central Kalimantan. It is not only a song but also a story about Dayak people.
Ngera’ by Timotiu Documentary Dayak Seberuang, Kalimantan Indonesia Dayak Seberuang tribe believes that paddy is the source of life (spirit) and an amazing grace from the Almighty. It is forbidden to let the paddies get rotten in the field because we can not harvest all of it.
Musical Healers Of The Land by Ado Kaliting Pacidal Documentary Taiwan Taiwan and New Zealand, the start and end points of Austronesian migration. Five thousand years later, our ancestors courageously sailed across the seas, two indigenous musicians, Seredau of Taiwan’s Paiwan and Püoro Jérome of new Zealand Maori.
Aliko and Ambai by Diane Anton, Mark Eby Long Documentary Papua New Guinea Aliko & Ambai is a feature film about two young women facing the challenges of growing up in the beautiful Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The challenges are significant: tribal conflict, poverty, bullying, domestic violence and forced marriage.
Film School Africa by Nathan Pfaff Long Documentary Africa Katie Taylor, a Los Angeles casting director leaves her quickly growing career behind in order to teach filmmaking to youth in an improvised South African community.
Marie’s Dictionary by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee Short Documentary Native American Throughout the United States, many Native American languages are struggling to survive. According to Unesco, more than 130 of these languages are currently at risk, with 74 languages considered “critically endangered.”
The Song Keepers by Naina Sen Long Documentary Aboriginal In the obscure churches of remote Central Australia, a 140-year musical legacy of ancient Aboriginal languages, German sacred poetry and baroque music is being preserved by four generations of song women. The Kayahan River In Dilemma by Ranu Welum Media Short Documentary This video tells the impact of pollution in the Kahayan River on local communities in the Damang Batu Sub-district of Central Kalimantan. The pollution has degraded water quality, resulting in fragile livelihoods and increased health problems for Dayak communities in Damang Batu.
Profit and Loss by Sacred Land Film Project Long Documentary Onondaga Chief Oren Lyons reflects on the costs of capitalism, greed and the win-lose business model that has led us to the brink of ecological and spiritual collapse. Behind The Bayano by Ivan Jaripio Short Documentary Panama Film by Ivan Jaripio, indigenous filmmaker from the Embera community of Piriati, Panama. A hydroelectric power station was constructed in Panama in the 1970s - displacing indigenous Emberra communities. Long Sa’an by Erick Est Long Documentary Kalimantan, Indonesia A personal journey about Philius the Dayak man from the Omah Long tribe as he makes his way back home to the original forests where he grew up to pay his respects to his mother who dies when he was young and visit the burial grounds of his ancestors.
Inside Sack by Yonri Revolt Long Documentary Papua, Indonesia Inside Sack tells about a wood carving man who tells a story through his carving of a woman who hunts in the forest and meets a ghost. Finally, the woman becomes lost and is then carried by a ghost. This film is an experimental documentary that seeks to compare past (cultural) and present experiences in seeing women and man close to nature.
The Gravedigger of Kapua by Libby Hakaraia Short Documentary New Zealand The last gravedigger in a MÄ ori community struggles to find a younger man to whom he can pass on his skills and knowledge. Yokun Kings by Global Oneness Project Presentation Short Documentary Alaska, USA Set in the remote Alaskan Yukon Delta, Yukon Kings follows Yup'ik fisherman Ray Waska as he teaches his grandkids how to fish during the summer salmon run. With environmental and cultural forces threatening their subsistence way of life, Ray holds onto the hope that his grandsons will one day pass on the traditional knowledge to their children. Mali Umai by Kynan Tegar Short Documentary Kalimantan Mali Umai is an annual ritual done by the Dayak Iban tribe from Kalimantan. It is done after Nugal, the planting of seeds in the field. The ritual is a form of traditional pest control. Millets Back Home by Sayun Simung Feature Length Documentary Taiwan The story starts from Yaki Yabon, who is sowing the millets with the memory, and then she recovers the traditional culture. Generasi Kayu Lapuk (The Rotten Wood Generation) by Rizal Lani Short Documentary The vast forest of Papua are disappearing, including within the Lorentz National Park, the largest conservation area in SE Asia, which has been recognized as a natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its outstanding landscape and biological and cultural diversity. Pakeriran by Lekal Sumi Cilangasan Creative Films Taiwan Old people in the tribe have said: If you can swim to Pakeriran , you are a man of the tribe. If you can swim around Pakeriran a circle, you are a warrior of the tribe.
Small Island Big Song by Tim cole, Baobao Chen Documentary Pacific Small Island Big Song, an uplifting feature musical documentary. From Taiwan to Aotearoa/New Zealand, from Madagascar to Rapa Nui/Easter Island.
Ça Fait Si Longtemps by Laha Chen Feature Length Documentary Taiwan Never refuse any encounter! There are so many different kinds of persons in the world. Is it possible, that there is a group of people having similar cultural heritages and fates with us, but they are drifting in the other side of sea? Tak Kesampaian by Shafie Dris Feature Length Documentary Malaysia Despite poverty and socio-cultural hindrances, some Orang Asli youths do rise above and complete their secondary education. Nevertheless, their struggle doesn’t pay off. The Story of Kam Agong by Agnes Padan & Lawrence Jayaraj Feature Length Documentary Malaysia Agnes Padan takes a long journey back to her Lun Bawang village in Long Semadoh, in the interior of Sarawak to piece together what happened to her mother, Kam Agong, who died sixteen years ago shortly after she gave birth to her eighth son, Jordan. Agnes’ journey reveals a story of severe medical negligence that led to Kam Agong’s eventual painful death. Dipenjara by Stracky Yally also known as Assa Asso Creative Films Papua, Indonesia Yanto Arwekon is one of Papuan activist who had endured the discrimination, arrests, intimidation and got into jail. But this situation did not stop him to fight for the rights life of people in West Papua’s through self-determination. Mamapolitan by Indra Porhas Siagian Feature Length Documentary Papua, Indonesia Helena Kobogau is a Papuan woman who essentially maintains her own identity and culture in the midst of clutter of the metropolitan city. She also fought for the political rights of Papuan’s life and keeps voicing out the truth for justice in the Papua Island through freedom and stand alone as an independent country.
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