Throughout the island of Borneo, an explosion of palm oil plantations has led to mass deforestation and forced many Indigenous Peoples to allow logging of their sacred forests in exchange for immediate profits. However, in the Indonesian village of Sungai Utik, elders of the Dayak Iban people have been able to repel these extractive companies and protect the surrounding forests. This short documentary, written and directed by 18-year-old Sungai Utik filmmaker Kynan Tegar, follows a young girl who makes a magical discovery while out in the woods, and learns of the brave deeds of her elders. Indai Apai Darah is a love letter to the trees, rivers and birds that surround Kynan’s village, as well as to the aging leaders who were able to safeguard their livelihoods. As Sungai Utik elder Apai Janggut says in the film “The Earth is our mother, the forest is our father, and the river is our blood.
Apai Janggut
Apai Janggut is a respected Elder and the Longhouse Spiritual Leader of the Indigenous Iban Dayak community of Sungai Utik on the island of Borneo. Born in the Sungai Utik Longhouse in 1934, he has been the leading voice for forest protection among his people since he took over leadership of the community from his father in 1982.
When logging companies and Indonesian government officials first tried to incur on Sungai Utik land in 1973, a young Apai Janggut, known then as Bandi Anak Ragae, was among the community leaders who unequivocally denied their offers. For decades, he led multiple resistance efforts using sheer will and numbers to drive the many extractive interests away. After a long struggle, these efforts have resulted in the community securing legal recognition and ownership from the government of Indonesia of nearly 10,000 hectares of customary land by the Indonesian government.
The work of Apai Janggut and other community leaders has brought international recognition to Sungai Utik, resulting in the community being awarded the the United Nations Development Program Equator Prize in 2019, and the Gelbenkian Prize for Humanity in 2023.
Apai Kudi
Apai Kudi is a storyteller and Elder who leads many ceremonies and community initiatives for the Iban Dayak community of Sungai Utik. He often tells stories and teaches songs to the children and youth of the village, and is a key figure for many festivals and rituals that are central to Iban culture. As a young man, Kudi was among the first community members to discover illegal incursions by palm oil manufacturers and government officials onto Sungai Utik land. He helped to galvanize the community around protecting the forest and its life-giving ways, participating in protests and lengthy talks with government and corporate representatives, and eventually helping to secure official recognition and sovereignty over the forests they safeguard and study.
Apai Gadja
Apai Gadja is a respected spiritual Elder and naturalist who has lived almost his entire life in the forests of Sungai Utik, he leads important rituals and teachings for the community. Among the many fascinations inspired by his home is the diverse bird life of the region, and especially the Bird Omens, or Burang Bisa in the Iban language. The seven omen birds are Sengalang Burang (Brahminy Kite), Ketupong (Rufous Piculet), Beragai (Scarlet-rumped trogon), Pangkas (Maroon Woodpecker), Bejampong (Crested Jay) Embuas (Banded Kingfisher), Kelabu Papau (Diard’s Trogon) and Nendak (White-rumped shama). Apai Gadja helps to observe and interpret their unique movements and calls for the people of Sungai Utik, advising them on key decisions and the timing of various rituals and community activities.
Icha
Icha, daughter of the forest, has grown up with the trees, animals and waters that surround her Longhouse home. One of nearly 300 residents of the Sungai Utik village, she has been learning about the customary ways to harvest plants and animals, how to weave the baskets and colorful cloths that are central to the work of the community, and how to leverage modern tools like GPS and cutting edge camera equipment to study and preserve the forest. She has also been learning about the lessons and powers of the Omen Birds of the forest, whose wisdom has always guided the Iban Dayak Indigenous peoples of Central Borneo. This is Icha’s first time participating in a film project with her village.
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