Sharing the Knowledge
Curiosity is the intrinsic nature of humans. The modern-day advancement in technology is producing new technologies to create a better life and is making information accessible in many forms (printed or electronic media). However, much of the information accumulated so far is out of the reach of the people who need it. Information distortion and gaps in data delivery are two common problems due to the absence of media that can serve as a hub for delivering and transferring information and knowledge.
Gekko Studio and Handcrafted Films win awards at the 31st International Wildlife Film Festival
The 5x5 'Voices of Change from the Forests of Indonesia' forest film have won the two awards for the Best cultural message and best Film for Government Agency at Montana International Wildlife Film Festival (www.wildlifefilms.org).
These films are
Saving the Indigenous Forests from the Extinction -
Films on the 9th Archipelago Indigenous People Commemoration Day Festival (Hari Kebangkitan Masyarakat Adat Nusantara)
Jakarta, 17 March 2008 © JEEF/AMAN/Telapak; supported by GISPRI and produced by Gekko Studio
- Dayak Punan "Our Forest, Our Life" (film)
- Seko "the Last Paradise in the Hearth of Sulawesi" (film)
- The Indigenous People of Knasaimos (film)
At present, Indonesian forests are in very dangerous situation due to massive exploitation that has been happened in the past couple of years. Every year, areas as big as 3 times of island of Bali are beeing destructed.
In the other hand – different with the general situation – there are still hope, especially in the ancestral forests that are still being managed by the indegenous people. Forest for them means not only the number of standing stock, but it is related with their religion, wisdoms and many king of socio-cultural aspects.
Dayak Punan community in Malinau (Kalimantan island) depend on their forest for collecting eaglewood (gaharu), Seko people in North Luwu (Sulawesi) get benefit from non timber forest products such as resin and rattan for fullfilling their livelihood, Knasaimos tribe in South Sorong (Papua) consider the forests as their own mother.
Initiative to defend the forest, are facing huge challenges. The indigenous people still worry if their forest will be converted into large scale plantation, forest concession or mining exploitation.
South 2 South Film Festival 2008 - Vote for Life
Jakarta, 25-27 January 2008 by JATAM/WALHI/Ecosister/Forest Watch Indonesia/Goethe-Institue/Gekko Studio
StoS are providing visual information on exploitation portrait in southern countries. Most of them are third world countries with rich biodiversity, including Indonesia. Ironically, the southern countries suffer the most from impact of natural resources exploitation. Yet their fight and movement sound was not able to reach public. StoS will inspire us on how communities in several areas were truly struggling in facing the impact of natural resources exploitation, starting from those that also threatened their life, livelihood productivity, and service of nature.
The Last Frontier
with The Last Frontier movie and report, we could help public to have visualised the reality of massive illegal logging in Papua. As a result, many mass media worldwide has published the issue in the front page.
In response, the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched a huge crackdown – Operation Hutan Lestari II – led by the national police and supported by the military. As of 2nd May the operation is reported to have netted 173 suspects and seized over 385,000 m3 of logs. It has also affected the market for merbau timber, with shortages and price rises reported in both Indonesia and China.
Read the full report on telapak or EIA website.
Latest Movie
My Forest Tears
Ethno musical film of Indonesia Forest © Rizaldi Siagian/A. Slamet Widodo /Gekko Studio 2008
The poem (originally in Indonesian) by Rizaldi Siagian (musical) and A. Slamet Widodo (teks) and dedicated to Earth Day 2008.
Voices from the Forest in India
© NTFP EP/Dusty Foot Productions/Gekko Studio 2007
Women from a self-help group in India sort through dried amla fruit. Traditionally, amla is made into chutneys and pickles. Here it is processed into candy, breath freshener. Through the assistance of Keystone Foundation, productivity has increased three-fold with the adoption of new technology for processing. This story, and many others, are featured in a new film made by the NTFP-EP through Gekko Studio/Telapak and Dusty Foot Productions.
The 30-minute film was first shown during the Madhu Duniya (Honey World) Conference.
For details to get a copy, please email publications@ntfp.org (Philipine), info@gekkovoices.com (Indonesia) or kf@keystone-foundation.org (India).
