A world premiere of a new documentary revealing the devastation of rainforest in the southeastern part of West Papua is one of two films being screened in Auckland next month.
Billed as “Sinéma Merdeka: Stories from West Papua”, the programme is showing the heart of a hidden Pacific conflict and will be presented live by celebrated Papuan journalist and Jubi Newsfounder Victor Mambor.
The two films are “Pesta Babi — Colonialism in Our Time” and “Sa Punya Nama Pengungsi” (My name is Pengungsi).
“Pesta Babi” (The Pig Party), directed by Cypri Dale and Dandhy Laksono, is being premiered at the Academy Cinema, Auckland CBD, at 6pm on Saturday, March 7.
Filmed under siege and a draconian media ban, the filmmakers offer a rare and
urgent glimpse into indigenous life in Merauke, where Indonesian bulldozers have been systematically destroying their pristine rainforest home.
This film is co-produced by Jubi, Ekspedisi Indonesia Baru, Greenpeace, Yayasan Pusaka, and Watchdoc Documentary.
The second film, “Sa Punya Nama Pengungsi”,directed by Yuliana Lantipo is set against the backdrop of escalating government violence and the displacement of an estimated 100,000 Indigenous Melanesian people from their lands.
“My name is Pengungsi” is centred on the story of two Papuan children born in the midst of the conflict. Both are named “Pengungsi”, which in English means “Refugee”.
Films talanoa
The films will be followed by a Q&A/Talanoa with Mambor and film director Dandhy Laksono, and hosted by Dr David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report and deputy director of the Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN).
“These films give a powerful insight into the hidden occupation and oppression inside West Papua which all people in Aotearoa need to see to understand what our neighbours are enduring,” said one of the organisers Catherine Delahunty.
The twin-film festival is part of a weekend West Papua Solidarity Forum programme at the Auckland University Old Choral Hall, 7 Symonds Street, on Saturday, March 7, and on Sunday, March 8.
There will also be a public media seminar at the Whanau Community Centre and Hub featuring journalist and filmmaker Victor Mambor at 6pm, Monday, March 9, at the Taro Patch, Papatoetoe.
Organisers of the film screenings are West Papua Action Tāmaki Makaurau West Papua is the western half of New Guinea island and has been occupied by Indonesia since 1963. The independent state of Papua New Guinea is the eastern half.
Organisers of the film screenings are West Papua Action Tāmaki Makaurau. The group notes that more than 500,000 civilians have been killed in a slow genocide against the indigenous population, according to human rights agencies.
Basic human rights such as freedom of speech are denied and Papuans live in a constant state of fear and intimidation.
Foreign journalists have generally been barred entrance.
Traditional ways of life are under threat as huge tracts of rainforest are cut down to make
way for Indonesian palm oil and food estates, the world’s largest gold mine and ever-increasing transmigration from Indonesia, making Indigenous Papuans a minority in their own land.
The ministry's Head of Communication and Public Information Bureau, Aji Muhawarman, on Tuesday informed that these screenings have resulted in a 136 percent increase in case detection, with approximately 282,000 cases detected in 2021 and 667,000 cases in 2025.
"This shows that the increase in reported cases is not solely due to increased transmission, but rather because of the improvement in detection systems. Now, unreported infections can be detected and treated," he said.
He also stated that the Annual Blood Examination Rate (ABER) in Papua has increased significantly, from around 22 percent in 2021 to around 74 percent in 2025. This indicates that more people are being tested, leading to earlier detection of cases.
"At the same time, the positivity rate has actually decreased from around 29 percent to around 16 percent," Muhawarman added.
On malaria trends, he reported that 699,992 cases and 124 deaths were recorded in 2025. As of February 23, 2026, the figure stood at 53,246 cases with 20 deaths.
He highlighted the government's commitment to strengthening rapid diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and vector control to sustainably reduce transmission in Papua.
Therefore, this year malaria screening under the Free Health Check (CKG) program will be gradually rolled out in high-endemic areas, considering the disease burden, service readiness, and regional diagnostic capacity.
He said that nationwide, malaria is moving toward elimination in most areas, but the burden remains concentrated in Papua. About 95 percent of cases come from the region, which has become the country's malaria epicenter.
"Most Indonesian districts/cities have actually achieved malaria elimination, demonstrating significant progress in the national program. However, in Papua, only three of 42 districts have achieved malaria elimination," Muhawarman pointed out.
According to him, malaria medications remain highly effective in treating the disease, particularly in Papua where cases are concentrated. He added that authorities continue to conduct routine monitoring to detect any decline in drug efficacy in certain areas.
"Therapeutic efficacy studies conducted by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the WHO and partners in 2024–2025, showed that the main drug, Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DHP), as well as alternatives, Artesunate-Pyronaridine (ASPY) and Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL), still work very well. No delays in parasite clearance (a key indicator of resistance) were found," he explained.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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