Title | Women of the Forest |
---|---|
Director / Cinematographer / Editor / Writer | Inshallah P. Montero |
Researcher | Sunitha Bisan |
Country | Malaysia |
VDP Selection Year | Politics-2016 |
Screen Time | 15min |
Language | English / Malay / Kayan / Punan |
Subtitles | English/ Japanese |
Tags | Borneo, Indigenous People, Women, Maternal Health, Education , Climate Change |
Overview
In Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo’s rainforest is fading into corporate land. This documentary spotlights the women of the Kayan and Penan tribes, who struggle from both manmade destruction and the effects of climate change. It sensitively explores how reproductive health and rights should be included in climate change policies, and, in the form of a dialogue, seeks to protect the rights of these women who live in the Bornean forests.
Inshallah P. Montero
Director, Cinematographer, Editor, Writer
Inshallah P. Montero graduated from De La Salle College of St. Benilde with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Filmmaking. During enrollment, in 2011, her film received the Grand Prize of the Nescafe Video Contest. Her thesis film, Ang Lalaking Parisukat (The Man of Square) received the Best Director and Best Film Awards at the CINESBI 2012 Film Festival. The film also was one of the winners at the 2013 Manhattan International Film Festival in New York. She is currently active as a freelance documentary director.
Sunitha Bisan
Researcher
Sunitha Bisan is a specialist on gender and development having earned her master’s degree in the field from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand. She also has a background in Law graduating from the University of London. Her interest is on the sustainable development of communities-based on gender education, advocacy, and knowledge bridging.
Message from the Director
This was my first time to make a documentary alone and abroad. We didn’t speak the same language as I was from the Philippines, but I understood the people as they welcomed me into their tribe. They poured their hearts out as they told their stories, and as I listened through a translator, I felt their anger and frustration. It is an honor to give these remarkable people a voice, and I hope I can share their stories to the world, to amplify their voices and help them gain the rights they truly deserve.
Commentary from the Screening Committee Members
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