M E D I A R E L E A S E
Wednesday, 27 March, 2024
Introducing the National Inaugural West Papua Mini Film Festival
WOLLONGONG | SYDNEY | CANBERRA | BRISBANE | ADELAIDE | HOBART | MELBOURNE | DARWIN | LISMORE
A diverse mini festival of hot off the press short documentaries from inside West Papua and Indonesia starts its tour around nine Australian cities on 9 April 2024.
This riveting selection of five short films and one feature length documentary looks to promote peace, justice, and education, and the prevention of harm to the thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees in West Papua.
Soccer, hip-hop and emotional family dramas created by on the ground activist filmmakers tell stories of positive resistance, struggles for social justice, and the fight against environmental destruction.
The films highlight conditions and developments in our near neighbour in West Papua, where there is civil and armed conflict, thousands of internally displaced people, and ongoing large-scale environmental destruction from mining and logging industries.
Join some of the film makers for screenings and Q&A’s to publicise their situation and to lend support to activists in West Papua as they struggle for basic human rights and land rights.
Arranged in association with the West Papua Project at Wollongong University in collaboration with filmmakers from West Papua, Indonesia and Australia, and community support groups and citizens in Australia.
Synopsis of 6 film documentaries:
1. My Name is Pengungsi (Refugee)
Refugee Kogoya and Refugee Wakom, featured two of many internally displaced children, who were born in the midst of the jungle of West Papua, namely Nduga, Puncak Jaya and Maybrat, due to parents fled during the armed conflict between the Indonesian National Army/Police (TNI/POLRI) and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).
2. Black Pearl 'General of the Field'
After winning the fourth Indonesia Premier League, the Jayapura-based Persipura Football Club, better known as 'The Black Pearl' capture the imagination of many Papuans and broader Indonesian football community, as Papua's pride. The club is now a symbol of dignity and self-esteem of Papuan people.
3. Papuan Hip-Hop 'When the Microphone Talks'
With the ongoing humanitarian crises in West Papua, often marked by state violence, discrimination, as well social and political unrest, the hiphop community has fine-tuned and synced their beats with lyrics to highlight and awaken collective consciousness amongst the youth and broader Papuan music lovers.
The Grime Valley tells the story of the indigenous people of Grime Valley, defending their ancestral land from the onslaught of investment, as well as those who have been affected by palm oil investment. The forest, known for producing cocoa and being a place to see birds of paradise near Jayapura, is almost lost due to the palm oil company PT PNM opening it up for palm oil plantations, even though the operational permit has been revoked by the President.
5. Pepera 1969, A Democratic Integration?
A film about the highly controversial 1969 United Nations vote for West Papuan inclusion into the Republic of Indonesia. In what was meant to be a country wide vote only 1026 Papuans were included in the Indonesian military-controlled UN referendum. Those that did vote were threatened with violence and torture and death, and yet Australia and the United Nations accepted the so called, 'Act of Free Choice', as a legally binding referendum that sealed West Papua's fate as a part of Indonesia.
Music can rise above tyranny. A feature length documentary about the human rights disaster in West Papua. While the Indonesian army continues to dominate the indigenous inhabitants of West Papua, three friends gather in Melbourne to record outlawed folk songs with renowned Australian rock musicologist David Bridie.
*note: not all 6 films will be shown at all locations.
EVENTS:
Wollongong, April 9, 10am-4pm, University Of Wollongong Main Campus, Building 19, Research Hub, Room 2072 I Free I Performance by Papuan hiphop artist I Lunch Provided I For more info https://www.facebook.com/events/1330912904281789
Organiser - Dr Cammi Webb-Gannon, West Papua Project
(camellia@uow.edu.au and T 02 4221 4155)
Sydney, April 10, 5pm-9pm, Henry Carmichael Theatre Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 I Entry by Donation. For more info https://www.facebook.com/events/439634965065773
Organiser - Joe Collins and Anne Noonan, AWPA Sydney
(bunyip@bigpond.net.au – T 0407 785 797)
Canberra, April 11, 4pm-9:30pm, National Film and Sound Archive Theatrette General Admission I $18:50 I Performance by Canberra-based musicians I Free tickets are available for First Nations, Papuan community members and all who find the ticket prices a barrier to coming. For more info https://www.facebook.com/events/739159421730652
Organiser: Ronny Kareni and Jack Johnson (ronnykareni@gmail.com)
Adelaide April 13, Doors open 5.30pm for 6pm-9.30pm I The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett Street, Adelaide, Full $20 I Conc. $10 I Unemployed gold coin donation. For more info
https://www.facebook.com/events/965953951622968
Organiser: James Elmslie (jelmslie@ozemail.com.au and T 0407 913 870)
Magan-djin/Brisbane, April 14, 5pm-10pm, VENTspace I 23 Glenelg St, South Brisbane QLD, $15 I Performance by HipHop artists, traditional Papuan culinary experience and art exhibition. For more info https://www.facebook.com/events/1201174634203753
Organisers: Crystal Coleman and Jarod Woods (crycol90@gmail.com + jarodwoods41@gmail.com)
Lismore, April 15, 6:30pm-9pm, Star Court Theatre I 126 Molesworth Street, Lismore 2480 I $10 I Q&A Session with Victor Mambor and Dandhy Laksono. For more info https://www.facebook.com/events/1518965509004040
Organiser: Saul Dalton (sauldalton@yahoo.com)
Hobart, April 18, TBC: Venue, Time
Organiser - Jason MacLeod (siochail@protonmail.ch and T 0402 746 002)
When details are confirmed they will be updated as Events on Facebook.
Melbourne April 19, 4:15pm-10pm, ACMI Flinders St, Melbourne I Full $20.00 Member $13.00 I Concession $12.00 I Performance by The Black Sistaz. For more info https://www.facebook.com/events/907054954299600
Organiser: Charlie Hill-Smith (charliehillsmith@gmail.com and T 0414 941 399)
Darwin, April 21, 4.30pm – 9pm The Garramilla (Darwin) screening. Nightcliff Uniting Church. 21 Cummins St, Rapid Creek, Northern Territory.
Cost: by donation.
Organiser - Billee McGinley (billee.mcginley@gmail.com)
When details are confirmed they will be updated as Events on Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Overarching media contact for interviews and more information:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.