<\/p>\n
The film\u00a0Our Mothers\u2019 Land<\/em>\u00a0produced in partnership with The Gecko Project and featuring journalist Febriana Firdaus in her first documentary project won the\u00a02021 Wild and Scenic Film Festival \u201cSpirit of Activism Award\u201d<\/a>\u00a0during a virtual ceremony held this past weekend.<\/p>\n It depicts female activists from across Indonesia whose rural communities are in conflict with corporations seeking control of their natural resources: when they push back, they face the wrath of the state. For the film, Febriana travels to meet many women who have risen to lead grassroots social movements and then face violence, imprisonment, and judgement from their conservative societies as they fight for their rights.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a journalist I always dreamed to have a project that can represent my biggest interests on an issue, that can have a big\u00a0impact,\u201d Febriana explains. \u201cSince I studied in college, I have been very passionate about women\u2019s issues. I\u2019ve kept this story idea since 2016, the first time I met Sukinah, one of\u00a0Kartini Kendengs, who cemented their feet<\/a>\u00a0in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta,\u201d in a dramatic campaign which the film also depicts.<\/p>\n \u201cTo publish the film is more than enough for me. But after winning the\u00a0award, I now realize that it is important to spread this documentary around the globe, so that this group of activists gets more exposure for their struggle. They are still struggling\u00a0today, especially after the parliament finally issued the\u00a0Omnibus Law<\/a>\u00a0that experts believe will only benefit companies and put the environment in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n