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or the first time ever, a film festival will be held in Papua, one of the least developed and most restive provinces in the country.

The documentary film festival, taking the theme Bomi Zai Anim-Ha (Anim Ha Nature and People), will be held in the city of Merauke from Aug. 7 to 9.

A team of jurors comprising Alia Damaihati, Maria Kaize, Wens Fatubun and Yerri Borang are currently selecting 10 films from 25 submissions to be screened at the festival.

The submissions were drawn from regions around Papua and focus on stories about people and nature.

Among the titles under review are Yon Helfi’s SASI Konservasi Raja Ampat representing Raja Ampat, Yopi Gaman’s The Life in Mobak Forest (Raja Ampat), Giyai Melki’s The Hardship of Life in Little Heaven (Mimika) and Donald Kamarea’s River Bank School (Korowai).

“The number of participants who have submitted their works is beyond our expectations. There are many filmmakers in Papua who are not yet widely known, which is why Papuan Voices plans to hold this festival for the first time,” the festival’s event coordinator Asrida Elisabet said.

Papuan Voices plans to organize the festival annually to use documentary films to introduce Papua to the people of Papua, Indonesia and the world.

Chairman of the festival’s organizing committee Max Binur said in a statement that Merauke regency had been selected to host the first festival because it had Musamus (termite mounds) that could not be found anywhere else in Papua or Indonesia.

He said that in the Merauke context, Musamus had a philosophical meaning. “The Musamus termites work very hard and talk little to create a Musamus palace, which towers majestically,” Max wrote.

Aug. 9 was chosen as the closing date of the festival to coincide with the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

The festival is expected to raise awareness among local people about the costs of selling their lands for investment purposes, which could damage the social order, local economies and natural environment, which are sources of cultural strength.

It is also expected that films focused on cases of conflict in Merauke, such as land disputes, would serve as valuable lessons for the community to become wiser in dealing with issues within their living spaces.

The Papuan Voices community can be found in five regions across Papua and West Papua provinces, namely in Raja Ampat, Sorong, Jayapura, Wamena and Merauke.

It is a Papuan filmmakers community, which focuses on producing short documentary films on Papuan people and land and aims to convey messages to Papuan, Indonesian and world audiences so they can see Papua through the eyes of Papuans.

The community was established in 2011 when members of NGO’s Engage Media and Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation worked together to begin training new filmmakers in Papua.

The collaboration has produced various documentary films and offered training to aspiring Papuan filmmakers.