A young girl growing up in the Indigenous-held
forests of central Borneo follows
ancient connections to earn the gift of a story – her People's 1973
fight to preserve their lands amid rampant
deforestation.
SEATTLE, May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We are thrilled to
announce that "Indai, Apai, Darah" (Mother, Father, Blood) is
an official selection for the Mountainfilm Festival, which will be
held between May 23 and 27 in
Telluride, Colorado.
Directed by Kynan Tegar (Dayak Iban), the film takes place in
the Indonesian village of Sungai Utik, where elders of the Dayak
Iban people have been able to repel extractive companies and
protect the surrounding forests.
The production is part of a series of films created by
the Wayfinders Circle– a global network of Indigenous
guardians who protect their lands, waters, and territories and are
dedicated to sharing the transformative potential of Indigenous
lifeways.
"'Indai, Apai, Darah' serves as my love letter to the village
that raised not only me but also my father, his father, and
countless generations before. The title itself derives from a
cherished quote by my grandfather: 'The land is our mother, the
forest our father, and the river our blood.' This quote perfectly
encapsulates the philosophy that guides our way of life in Sungai
Utik," says the director, Kynan Tegar, who is a 19-year-old
photographer and filmmaker from the Dayak Iban tribe of the island
of Borneo, Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Tegar grew up in and around the traditional longhouse of his
village of Sungai Utik, where he learned directly from the elders,
their wisdom and values, their stories of resistance in the face of
encroaching deforestation, and the threats to their way of life.
Picking up his first camera as an inquisitive twelve-year-old, he
discovered the power of visual storytelling to communicate and
change lives.
"Mass deforestation persists despite all efforts, and the future
of the Indigenous Peoples who call these places home remains
uncertain. With this film, I hope to have captured the beauty of
their resilience and to provide the rest of the world with a
glimpse into my perspective – that of a child from this community,"
he concludes.
The film is a co-production between the Wayfinders Circle
conveners (Nia Tero, Pawanka Fund,
the World Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners) and the
Dayak Iban Sungai Utik.
The film is part of the Indigenous Storytellers Shorts program
at Mountainfilm. You can attend the world premiere in person
on May 25th at 9:15 AM. A second
screening will take place on Sunday, May
26th, at 2:45 PM.
Tickets can be purchased online.
Learn more about the film.
Video -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2418287/indai_apai_darah_trailer__1080p.mp4
Logo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1438048/Nia_Tero_Logo.jpg
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content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-film-indai-apai-darah-mother-father-blood-to-make-world-premiere-at-2024-mountainfilm-festival-302152041.html