Sharing Paradise

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by Amelia Hapsari
color, 59 min, 2008

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Above the water, Balobaloang looks like an ideal tropical paradise with blue sky, coconut trees, and crystal water. However, another picture is revealed under the water, where coral reef is destroyed and fewer and fewer pristine habitats exist.

Traditionally, people who live in small islands in Indonesia fish using sustainable fishing methods. This has allowed marine resources to be conserved and to be shared by the inhabitants of the islands. However, dynamite and cyanide fishing has introduced another kind of economy. The cargo ship owners, who receive revenue from transporting goods from one island to another, are supposed to offer loans or jobs to others who have less income. However, corruption and a high overseas demand of fish have made it impossible for traditional fishermen to receive a fair share of their paradise.

Collaborating with the fishermen, the filmmakers confront the perpetrators and attempt to understand the reasons for these dangerous new methods that threaten Balobaloang's sustainable way of life.

Festivals, Screenings, Awards
Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, 2009

Related Films
China Coast Fishing
Fish Is Our Life
Fishers of Dar
Last Season: Portrait of a Trawler
The Water Talks to Me

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