Waiting for the internet here is like waiting to kena lottery.
Impossible.
My mood to blog also turned foul d...
But anyway,
Have you heard of the Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival?
Of course you have.
It's one of the things Sarawak is known for isn't it? People from all over the world come to Malaysia attend this annual celebration of the music of indigenous people all over the world. This is the time we showcase our diversity and our intangible heritage amongst other international indigenous music performers.
The press also never fail to highlight the "magnificence" of the event. Raving reviews on the fantastic music and vibrant photos of the event makes you go, "Wow, SO COOL!!! Next year I oso want to go! Eh wanna go ar, wanna go r? Next year we go together laa...".
Try asking my friend Chi Too that and he'll probably tell you, "What rainforest?"
No, he's not ignorant about the festival nor the existence of Sarawak in beloved Malaysia. He probably knows more about Sarawak than you'll ever know.
You see, Chi Too and his friend, Hillay Chiew made a film. Two films actually, about the Sarawak's rainforest. And their second film, "What Rainforest?" will be premiering at this year's Freedom Film Fest.
While our impression of Sarawak is of orang aslis, diversity of natives, hutans, jungles, wildlife, headhunters, and of course, the Sarawak Rainforest Music Fest, he brings you the other story of Sarawak.
Not a very pretty story.
And if you plan on attending next year's Sarawak Rainforest Music Fest, be prepared to attend it in a palm oil estate.
That's all the rainforest we have in Sarawak isn't it?
Shocking? Nah...
All Sarawak has left is an arguably less than 10% of rainforest. Well unless you consider palm oil estates as rainforests la... But I think you know better...
Wait till you hear about Penans who lost their mother land and livelihood to logging companies, palm oil conglomerates, and paper-producing companies when forest land are converted to plantation land without consulting then whose life depends on the forest.
Can you imagine hunting for food in an oil palm estate, bathe in, drink from, and get your fich supplies from polluted rivers as a result from logging, having the rubber tree you tap to get half a day's meal chopped off, the vegetables you grow for your family deliberately destroyed by pesticide, and what's worse, the house that sits on the land which your ancestors left you been torn down and you, the rightful owner of the land are told to leave because you don't have that piece of paper that states the boundary of your area with your name on it.
There you go.
Cuti-cuti Malaysia. Malaysia Truly Asia. Welcome to the Land of Hornbills.
Never heard of this topic? Me too. Till I watch the film.
So, instead of spending at least RM700 (excluding flight ticket) to watch hypocrisy in action, why don't you come down to watch reality for free?
As I have mentioned, "What Rainforest?" with the tagline "Wake up and Smell the Palm Oil", will be premiering at Freedom Film Fest 2008 at different dates in four different locations around the Bolehland. You can check the dates, locations, and schedule here.
There are many more shocking/enlightening/ eye-opening films that will be screened at Freedom Film Fest so missing it is not an option.
Chi Too and Hillary's first film "Penusah Tana" can be watch online. I've embedded it below. You just need to wait for it to load.
If you'd like to purchase the "What Rainforest?" DVD, it is available with a minumum donation of RM20 and it comes with "Penusah Tana" as a bonus material.
I know my blog isn't that famous (it barely reaches 20 people per day), so I'd really appreciate it if you can spread the word in your well-read blog. You don't have to blog in great lengths to talk about some Sarawakian's pain and sorrow and agony, just your readers know about this film and to catch it at the coming Freedom Film Fest.
If you do not blog, then why not take the chance to invite some friends out for a free movie screening *winks* =P
You can know more about injustice at www.whatrainforest.com
So, thank you for reading and thank you for helping to spread the word.
*I will be catching the Penang screenings.
14 comments:
Girl, I've been the RWMF in 2002, 2003 and 2004. There's a bit of a forest/ belukar. But as with all things, what we see is just the side for tourists who mostly come for the 3 days and then cabut. I was wondering when the FFF is. Now I know. I will definitely catch the Pg screenings. See you there then. Oh you don't know half the story about Sarawak and their natives!
u-jean...I'm going to help u spread about it, maybe tomorrow...anyway, where were you when you were trying to connect the Internet? :-D
U-jean...i was not so sure on how I should write about it, so I just write about conserving our environment and put your link in my blog for people to click. =.= I'm afraid I'm not so good in promoting such thing, so i put the link in my page so that the readers would come to your site and read all about it here. I hope you're okay with it. Take care, k?
Hi U-jean, got ur link from Cleff. I heard during this year's festival, it rained and there was mud all over, but it should be fun! Pity the Penans folk. I think I might post on my visit to some Orang asli settlement soon to join your awareness program.
krista,
when we meet in penang you can tel me what it's all about...
cleffairy,
thanks for doing this. i appreciate it =) where was i trying to connect to the internet? either at my hostel, my friend's place, or at sunway pyramid. any particular reason to the question?
pete,
hi and thanks for dropping by. i have embedded a video on this post. do take the time to viiew it
Actually...u-jean, there's a reason for that particular question. *giggle*
I was there at Sunway pyramid too, with my hubby during the latte@8 show, and I spotted you, online over there with a friend. I wanted to go up and talk to you, but I wasn't sure if that's really you...wait silap orang den I malu nia...besides, you were so immersed in your laptop.
I even 'curi' your picture and you din even notice... LMAO...err...so, would you like your picture back? Haha...actually, I thought I wanna write about it in my blog and put your picture there, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate if i din ask permission from you first... :-D can I?
cleffairy,
i strongly believe that was me. I can't believe what a terribly small world this is. Pergi Sunway oso can jumpa. Maybe I should come up with a "Spot Me" contest. And yes, you can put the picture up. I oso 12 see...
LOL... small world indeed...actually I really wanted to go up to and ask if you're u-jean....but den again, if silap orang den really malu. Hahaha. Actually, I'm quite amazed that you din notice me snapping your pic...that time I turn on flash summore...I was actually standing right in front of you. :-P
u just officially made me rethink my plan of going to the sarawak rainforest music fest next year
cleffairy,
ya i agree with you, if salah orang memang malu wan. i am usually very engrossed in myself so sometimes even if you stand right infront of me and use the flash, i wouldn't even notice. but not fair, you've seen my gorgeousness but i haven't met you.
hui ting,
well, there is nothing wrong with the Rainforest Music Fest, it's just the hypocrisy and injustice that irks me. Here you are promoting lush rainforest and capitalizing on Sarawak's diversity but on the other hand, chopping off natural heritage and taking away what rightfully belongs to the indigenous people. cibai punya orang
Rather than hypocrisy, I think rainforest is used as a platform to promote environmental issue. I think it`s rather wrong to fault this event in this sense.
Though, I don`t know much about this issue and it`s great someone is making effort to expose the problems faced by the indigenous people. Their voices are usually drowned by the majorities.
alex,
you have a point there but i doubt it. i don't fault the event but rather loathe the hypocrisy. i'm just bringing up the film, credit goes to the filmmakers. they went all the way there with their own money and produce the films and dvds themselves. my salute goes to chi too and hillary. thank you for leaving your thoughts alex.
only 10% rainforest left in sarawak? that's really quite shocking. more so when u read about the meltdown of the artic ice cube today.
how u want me to promote this?
zewt,
thanks for responding to this. whatever i wrote may not be accurate. therefore i think it is better for one to watch the film themselves. it's be nice if you can watch the video that i put up on this post and write about what you think/feel after watching it. it'll be great if you can let your readers know about "what rainforest?" and that it'll be screened at freedom film fest and probably encourage them to attend it. it'll be good if you yourself can attend it then you'll be able to blog about it your own words and with your own conviction. Thanks again =)
Post a Comment