The forests of Malinau, East Kalimantan, are amongstthe most species-rich in Asia. Logging, mining andplantation developments are reducing these forestsday-by-day. How are these changes viewed by localpeople?

How can local people have more say in decisionsabout the forests on which they depend? How can competing needs andvisions for these rainforests be balanced?Local communities have legitimate needs and visions about forest thatcan be quite diverse. Yet local governments often do not acknowledge thislegitimacy or diversity.

They are usually more concerned with “modernization”and income generation at cost of traditional livelihoods, conversion of forest,and risk of increasing economic dependency and vulnerability.These films document how local communities perceive and use rainforestsin Malinau District in Indonesian Borneo and how these uses may be changing– leading ultimately to the destruction of the forest, and the loss of a richculture and way of life. Local communities want choices about how their forestis used.

The films explore the difficulties communities and local governmentface in defining a shared vision for forest use and making transparentdecisions. Interviews with Dayak farmers and Punan hunter gatherers,Malinau district officials, advocates from nongovernmental organizationsand academics offer useful suggestions about how local people’s needs canbe better served and local forest policies can be improved.

Part I: Our forests, our prosperity (Hutan kita, kesejahteraan kita)

Part II: Our forests, our decision (Hutan kita, keputusan kita)

The films are available in Indonesian, with English and Indonesiansubtitling.

A DVD version includes the two videos with Indonesian and Englishsubtitles. A VCD version includes the two videos in Indonesian only.

Copies are available free for those who can put them to good use. Pleasespecify (a) if you need a DVD or VCD, and (b) how to get it to you.

Please contact Michael Padmanaba (m.padmanaba@cgiar.org) or DinaHubudin (d.hubudin@cgiar.org).