Operation Orangutan

The Look of Silence

November 2014 •English

An optician grapples with the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966, during which his older brother was exterminated.

Video Visits: Bali - A Window on Paradise

January 1990 •English

A comprehensive tour of the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali - its slumbering volcanoes, mountain lakes, lush green rice paddies and intricate temples. Bali, despite its dependence on tourism, still retains its vital four thousand year old culture. The video takes us to Lake Bratan; Ubud, the country’s cultural centre; Mas, famous for its carved wood masks; the port of Singaraja and the beaches of Sanur.

Secret Lives of Orangutans

August 2024 •English

Follow a multi-generational orangutan family through their treetop triumphs and travails in this immersive documentary narrated by David Attenborough.

War Photographer

November 2001 •English

Documentary about war photographer James Nachtwey, considered by many the greatest war photographer ever.

Guilty

October 2017 •English

A film about convicted drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran, who became an accomplished artist before he was executed by firing squad in Indonesia in April 2015.

The Last Book

October 2019 •German

The film focuses on the exciting life journey of Swiss writer Katharina Zimmermann. She follows her husband on a mission to the jungle in Indonesia where she raises their four children and five foster children and lives through the military coup. Back in Switzerland Katharina discovers her voice and finds her path. Now, at eighty, she is writing her life story. Yet suddenly she faces another battle because her publisher is threatening to let her go.

Us, Our Pets and the War

April 2024 •Ukrainian

Amid violence and war, Ukrainian citizens are coming together to rescue animals that have been left behind by those forced to flee. From cats and dogs in abandoned buildings to lions and tigers in the nation’s zoos, extraordinary rescue efforts are underway to bring them to safety. The film is a tribute to the very best of the human spirit despite the horrors of war.

Cries from the Deep

July 1981 •French

This documentary records the journey undertaken by Jacques Cousteau, his 24-member team, and an NFB film crew to explore the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, one of the world's richest fishing areas. They discover shipwrecks, film icebergs and observe beluga whales, humpback whales and harp seals. The film also includes a fascinating sequence showing Calypso divers freeing a calf whale entrapped in a fishing net.

Elephant Whisperer

June 2012 •English

Sangduen Chailert, or Lek, as she is generally known, has already rescued over 200 elephants. She has dedicated her life to saving the Asian elephant and founded a special camp, The Elephant Nature Park to protect them. We follow this winner of Time Magazine’s “Asian Hero of the Year” Award in her work. Lek is on a mission to save the Asian elephant in her native Thailand. This film looks at the plight of the Asian elephant, as it goes from being a widely used domestic animal, to becoming a burden on modernizing communities. With experts predicting its extinction within four decades, Lek’s work is needed now more than ever and she has gathered a large group of supporters and volunteers in her quest for a better future for the Asian elephant. This moving film demonstrates Lek’s natural understanding of and rapport with these huge animals and will stir the viewers emotions as it highlights the often desperate state some elephants are kept in.

Borneo - Insel der Schönheit, Leidenschaft und Dämonie

January 1952 •German

Documentary about Borneo, the island of beauty, passion and demons

Orangutan Rescue - Back to The Wild

September 2014 •English

Disenchanted Forest

February 2002 •English

We call them o-rang-u-tans, which literally means "forest persons" in the Malay and Indonesian languages. They are the only great apes native to Asia. Of all the apes, they are the closest to man in genetic makeup. And they face extinction. Two years in the making, the film is an intimate portrayal of the world of orangutans, the threats to their survival and the people committed to help them thrive. The film focuses on a recent discovery that orangutans do not rely on animal instinct for survival, but instead have a culture that they have preserved from generation to generation.

Green

October 2009 •English

Her name is Green, she is alone in a world that doesn't belong to her. She is a female orangutan, victim of deforestation and resource exploitation. This film is an emotional journey with Green's final days. It is a visual ride presenting the treasures of rain forest biodiversity and the devastating impacts of logging and land clearing for palm oil plantations.

Born to Be Wild

April 2011 •English

Born to Be Wild observes various orphaned jungle animals and their day-to-day behavioural interactions with the individuals who rescue them and raise them to adulthood. The film unfurls in two separate geographic spheres. Half of it takes place in the rain forests of Borneo, where celebrated primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas assists baby orangutans; the other half takes place on the arid savannahs of Kenya, where zoologist Dame Daphne Sheldrick works with baby elephant calves.

Rescue Me: International

April 2020 •English

In this moving and informative documentary, the rescue me team goes to the United Kingdom to exam a local home-grown cat rescue and a larger national organization.

Land of the Morning Star

January 2003 •English

The western half of the island of New Guinea has been known by many names including Netherlands New Guinea, West Papua, Irian Jaya and Papua. It is an extraordinary place where snow-capped mountains drain into massive rivers and 250 languages are spoken. For centuries, the world has jostled for control of this rugged, isolated region, with its abundant natural resources and strategic position. Through eyewitness accounts and rare archival film, this fascinating documentary paints a picture that is intimate in detail but epic in scope. It is a sweeping saga of colonial ambitions, cold war sellouts and fervent nationalism, which highlights the role of players such as Australia and the UN at crucial points.

Gaze of a Defender to a Striker

June 2023 •English

In the uncertainty of Indonesian football conditions, Aldian is trying to survive amidst the league stoppage while Ronaldo strives to become a football athlete.

Into the Inferno

September 2016 •English

With stunning views of eruptions and lava flows, Werner Herzog captures the raw power of volcanoes and their ties to indigenous spiritual practices.

Tawai: A Voice from the Forest

September 2017 •English

Explorer Bruce Parry visits nomadic tribes in Borneo and the Amazon in hope to better understand humanity's changing relationship with the world around us.

Float: Archipelago

February 2013 •English

"Float" is the film version of the Ripcurl Tip 2 Tip Project, a six-month quest on the Infinite Search, stretching from one end of the Indonesian Archipelago to the other aboard the mighty Quest 1. It's a story of adventure and surfing spirit and the surfers who put their lives on hold to chase it by sea. From perfect waves to cabin fever, "Float" lives the surfing dream and takes you everywhere except a final destination. Starring: Dean Brady, Dillon Perillo, and Bruno Santos. Featuring: Mick Fanning, Owen Wright, Matt Wilkinson, Taylor Knox, and others on The Search. A Film by Andrew "Shorty" Buckley.