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This film block centers on people who have chosen to take responsibility for vulnerable lives, often in the face of loss, risk, or uncertainty. Across fire circles, forests, wetlands, wildlife hospitals, and mountain landscapes, these films document acts of protection rooted in devotion rather than spectacle.
Wildlife rehabilitators fight to continue their work after displacement, conservationists dedicate their lives to endangered species, scientists and community members advocate for overlooked animals, and cultural leaders preserve knowledge essential to coexistence with the natural world. Together, the films reveal protection not as a single act, but as an ongoing commitment shaped by belief and the willingness to act.
As Jakarta sinks and sea levels rise, Indonesia is moving its capital to Borneo. It’s building a futuristic new city named Nusantara in the middle of a forest, on the traditional land of the indigenous Balik people. Abidin, a Balik elder, is documenting his forest’s soundscape with the help of scientists to preserve ancestral knowledge – before it’s too late.
- Year2025
- Runtime18:17
- CountryUnited States, Indonesia
- Genreenvironment, science, climate, indigenous
- DirectorLeah Varjacques
- ProducerRizky Rahad
- EditorSam Price-Waldman
This film block centers on people who have chosen to take responsibility for vulnerable lives, often in the face of loss, risk, or uncertainty. Across fire circles, forests, wetlands, wildlife hospitals, and mountain landscapes, these films document acts of protection rooted in devotion rather than spectacle.
Wildlife rehabilitators fight to continue their work after displacement, conservationists dedicate their lives to endangered species, scientists and community members advocate for overlooked animals, and cultural leaders preserve knowledge essential to coexistence with the natural world. Together, the films reveal protection not as a single act, but as an ongoing commitment shaped by belief and the willingness to act.
As Jakarta sinks and sea levels rise, Indonesia is moving its capital to Borneo. It’s building a futuristic new city named Nusantara in the middle of a forest, on the traditional land of the indigenous Balik people. Abidin, a Balik elder, is documenting his forest’s soundscape with the help of scientists to preserve ancestral knowledge – before it’s too late.
- Year2025
- Runtime18:17
- CountryUnited States, Indonesia
- Genreenvironment, science, climate, indigenous
- DirectorLeah Varjacques
- ProducerRizky Rahad
- EditorSam Price-Waldman