Kynan Tegar | Indonesia | 11 mins | 2020

LANGUAGE: Iban, English

Ever since the 1980s and 1990s, a time when logging in Borneo was some of the most intensive the world has ever seen, multiple companies received concessions from the government came, and came to Sungai Utik bearing money, but the elders and community at that time rejected them and demonstrated saying “we do not care about money, what we want is a richness of nature” and because of that the customary territory of Sungai Utik to this day is still covered in tall trees, the rivers still clear, and food source still plentiful.

After decades of struggle the Dayak Iban community of Sungai Utik finally received formal recognition for their customary forest, with a Decree from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia. Finally with this the community now have full rights to manage their customary forest according to their local wisdoms and traditions.

This is the story that will be told in the film, how the community first came to inhabit their customary territory, their fight to protect it from logging and other threats, their fight to receive legal recognition from the government, and the very meaning of the customary forest for the community.

This film was an official selection for ALT EFF 2022.