In the deep rainforests of the remote island of West Papua, men seek their fortune in ancient trees whose valuable wood they procure for the international market. Caught between the natural wealth of their native land and the inexhaustible demand of capitalist commodity production, the loggers face an impossible choice: either remain destitute and preserve the forest or destroy it for some loose cash and their children’s education. „Kayu Besi“ (translated as „Ironwood“) offers a tentative glimpse into their precarious work, following the men into a peripheral and unstable territory where the magic of the old is still at play, while the power of the new is already cutting its swathes.

With: Heindom Mambrasar, Hadi ‚Pur‘ Purwanto, Rudi Wijayanto, Gabriel ‚David‘ Klagilit, Sujarno & Wempi Klasin

Sound Design by Studio Moonbird