AS WORLDS DIVIDE IS SCREENING AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA
As Worlds Divide is screening at the Environmental Film Festival Australia (EFFA) in Melbourne on Sunday, October 14th at 8pm. This will be followed by a Q&A with Producer and Director, Rob Henry; moderated by Dr Alexander Cullen from the University of Melbourne. Book your tickets online via ACMI, by clicking this link: EFFA tickets. Whilst there, we recommend browsing →
AS WORLDS DIVIDE – COMMUNITY IMPACT
For all those who have seen the As Worlds Divide film, given support or followed the progress of this Mentawai, social impact project over the past ten years, check out this short video update from the community: We greatly appreciate your ongoing support and donations. For further details about this cultural education program, including monthly progress reports, visit our Indigenous Education →
YOUR FILM PURCHASE IS MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE
Again, thank you to everyone who has purchased the As Worlds Divide film over the past few months. The proceeds / donations received are already being utilised and bringing positive impact to Mentawai’s Indigenous community. Inspired by the level of support shown by people all around the world, the Suku Mentawai Education Foundation have been fortifying their program by further developing the curriculum →
WAFSAC HAS BEEN EXTENDED!
The ‘Watch a film, save a culture' wafsac reached its 30th day last Monday. Whilst we’ve yet to reach our targets in terms of funds raised, we are extremely grateful and moved by the level of support you’ve given over the past month – particularly by how far the voice of Indigenous Mentawai has been carried across Australia and around the →
WAFSAC AND WIN!
Dreaming of escaping the office to a secluded, tropical island and some of the best saltwater barrels in the world? Or perhaps in need of kicking off your shoes and experiencing one of the most biodiverse rich rainforests and cultures the planet has to offer? In support of the Mentawai WAFSAC, our friends at Pitstop Hill Mentawai and the community-run Mentawai →
MENTAWAI COMMUNITY READY TO SAVE THEIR CULTURE
We are now just 1 week away from launching the global 30-day ‘Watch a Film, Save a Culture’ #wafsac. The As Worlds Divide film is now available for purchase (download) on the iefprograms.org/wafsac page and our presenting sponsors, Patagonia, Garage and Madman Entertainment are offering some incredible rewards for those who give their support. This is not a request for you →
SUKU MENTAWAI LAUNCH ECOTOURISM
It has been a busy few months for As Worlds Divide, Indigenous Education Foundation (IEF) and the Suku Mentawai team. The implementation of their Cultural & Environmental Education Program (CEEP) is now underway and the Mentawai committee driven to ensuring its success. One important factor and indicator of their program's success is sustainability – how the Mentawai team will operate →
WHAT IS #WAFSAC?
Four months ago we premiered our documentary As Worlds Divide at Federation Square, Melbourne, and in collaboration with the Indigenous Education Foundation (IEF) launched the #wafsac - ‘watch a film, save a culture’ fundraising drive. We’ve since held public screening events in Torquay, Redfern, Bondi, Avalon, Newcastle, Forster, Sawtell, Byron, Casuarina, Burleigh Heads, Northcote and Mallorca – raising more than →
THE MENTAWAI SPIRIT
Although impossible to convey here the depths of what an indigenous people lose when displaced from their land and culture, I’d like to share with you a few observations alongside a series of photographs captured by friend and photographer, Chris Hopkins. The aesthetic contrast between the resettled and non-resettled peoples in Mentawai was what first grabbed my attention - in particular, →
AS WORLDS DIVIDE FILM LAUNCH AND #WAFSAC CAMPAIGN
Thank you to everyone who attended the As Worlds Divide film premiere event last Friday, the 24th of March. The level of support and generosity for Suku Mentawai and the ‘watch a film, save a culture’ #wafsac campaign was truly inspiring. Together, we raised $20,000 for their cultural and environmental-based indigenous education program (CEEP). We’d also like to extend our thanks →
FILM PREMIERE – DON’T MISS OUT ON TICKETS
For those of you wanting to attend the As Worlds Divide film premiere this Friday but who are planning to purhase tickets at the door, we'd advise you pre-book so as to avoid missing out. There are only 46 tickets left (capacity of 320) and, given the rate they are selling this week, there is a strong possibility there won't →
AS WORLDS DIVIDE PREMIERE, TICKETS ON SALE
We’re proud to announce that tickets to the premiere of our feature documentary film, As Worlds Divide, are now on sale. This event will take place at Deakin Edge, Federation Square on March 24th and will also celebrate the launch of our new charity, Indigenous Education Foundation (IEF), ‘watch a film, save a culture’ #wafsac campaign and a cultural / photographic →
WE’RE PREMIERING THE FILM, SAVE THE DATE!
We’re elated to announce that our feature documentary film, As Worlds Divide, will be premiering at Deakin Edge, Federation Square (Melbourne CBD) on the evening of March 24, this year. Further details about this exciting event will be made available very soon, but for now please SAVE THE DATE! (and prepare travel plans). This film project began over 9 years ago… →
PREPARING OUR FILM’S RELEASE CAMPAIGN
These past few months we have been busy researching and developing a strategy to release our feature documentary film, As Worlds Divide. Our primary objective is to utilise the film’s release to help fund the 10-year implementation of Suku Mentawai’s Cultural and Environmental Education Program (CEEP) – and thus prevent the loss of their precious Indigenous knowledge. Last Tuesday we gathered →
MENTAWAI TEETH SHARPENING RITUAL
It has been quite an extraordinary month here in Mentawai, and one particular reason for this was baring witness to a ritual I’d presumed had long been extinct: the sharpening, or chiseling of human teeth. There are various theories pertaining to the actual purpose for this act and, depending on the region you make your enquiry, perhaps all have some element →
FILM OUTREACH STRATEGY
I have been a little inactive here these past few months, but for good reason. Having finally finalised the film’s production – yes, very happy – it has provided some much-needed time to catch up on the happenings of the Foundation; namely, identifying weaknesses and planning steps to strengthen and move forward. One key component of this planning is the film’s →
FINAL STAGES OF PRODUCTION
Yes, the journey of this film production has been notably slow and, for those following along, seemingly uneventful at times. Almost eight years now and we’re still yet to see a film. C’mon Rob. Contrary to popular perception – and perhaps direct sightings – I will say we’ve continued chipping away at this quite incessantly. And what is →
SUKU MENTAWAI UPDATE
I’m really enjoying being back in Mentawai. In particular, trekking about the forest with my good friend Aman Masit Dere. He hasn’t been this energetic in years. The medicines are working and his health slowly recovering. It’s so pleasing. Sadly this outcome is not common here for people suffering from tuberculosis. Most others that I've met while passing through the remote →
POST-PRODUCING
I’m pleased to report that the film’s post-production is now in full swing. Even more so than when I reported the same progression last year, the year before, and most probably the several years before that too. Ahem. Jane and I have been in lock-down mode the past month working on a final cut (edit) of the film, eating excessive quantities →
A GREAT RESULT!
The fundraiser event went really well. The day was a lot of fun and we managed to raise well in excess of what we’d hoped. Thank you for all the generous donations and support. Unbelievable. Please click on over to iefprograms.org/fundraiser-raffle-day-a-huge-success for results, photographs and a wrap up of the day’s event. Thanks and stay tuned for some exciting developments →
$2000 LAST-MAN-STANDING DRAW!
I find the fund-raising aspect of this project quite challenging and so it generally gets pushed aside in the hope that the task will just disappear, but of course it doesn’t. It grows. Until finally there comes a time such as this where opportunity and need wonderfully collide and action simply must be taken. Fact of the matter is we need →
EXCITING YEAR AHEAD
It has been a rather eventful few months in Mentawai, as is typically the case. Seemingly, there are no fewer surprises now than there were when this journey began nearly seven years ago... perhaps just more meaningful ones. I've posted a few recent photographs and included brief descriptions. You may be particularly interested in the 'chance' encounter we had with the →
IS THERE EVEN A DAMN FILM?
In 2008, before this journey began, I had lost track of where I was headed. I wanted to feel as though I belonged to a purpose but wasn’t sure where to turn. By the end of 2009 I had been living with the native Mentawai people for almost a year. Here I had found inspiration to make a documentary film, →
MENTAWAI ELDERS
I’d like to introduce you to my friends, Aman Lappet, and his wife, Bai Lappet. They have played an integral role in my journey here over these past years. Both are profoundly wise, insightful, patient, and often childishly humorous, too. Through being in their presence I’ve learnt an entirely new perspective on what it means to be ‘relaxed’, and the →
