The Flame

One million hectares of Borneo’s rainforest were destroyed for Mega Rice Project since the ‘90s. Iber Djamal (77), part of the indigenous communities who strongly opposed this projects, keeps on pursuing the only legal way to protect the forest by obtaining a legal customary forest title for the remaining forest in his area. Barasak Island is the last forest area in Pilang Village, Central Kalimantan. Iber Djamal tried to get government recognition of the status of the Barasak Island customary forest. Although he lacks support from his family and village residents, he still tries to collect all the documents required by the government to obtain the customary forest certificate. But in the midst of his struggle, Iber’s private land was claimed by someone else. He has to choose between managing the Barasak Island forests or managing his land dispute. While massive forest fires are still coming, at the same time, Iber puts his hopes high on his 6 year old grandson, Demetri, who starts asking questions about the forest, and put on a hope that the younger generation still care about protecting their ancestral forest.