Summary
Highlights
The film introduces the Penan, a nomadic hunter-gatherer tribe in Borneo known for their survival skills and poisonous blowpipe darts. Filmmaker Raphael Treza begins his three-month journey to document their lives. He briefly shows the extensive deforestation in Borneo, caused by the palm oil industry and logging, which has destroyed the majority of the island's primary rainforest, impacting its rich biodiversity.
Historically, the Penan lived as nomads in the primary rainforest, but logging and government policies have forced most into settled camps and villages. Activists who tried to block logging roads were arrested and tortured. Bala, a semi-nomadic Penan, now lives in a village due to deforestation and prepares Tajem, a deadly poison from the Antiaris Toxicaria tree, for his blowpipe darts. The poison is refined to be fatal quickly without contaminating meat.
The Penan follow a specific recipe, combining various plants to enhance the poison's potency. Darts are coated and dried, ready for use. Richard, a sedentary Penan working in a national park, demonstrates traditional blowpipe hunting for wild boar, a practice still allowed in untouched areas. This section also shows traditional food gathering, like bamboo shoots, and fishing techniques using spear-guns and bread in unpolluted rivers.
Langub guides the filmmaker to meet semi-nomadic Penan families, including Saya, who lives in a temporary camp with his family. The Penan's main food source is traditionally sago palm, which they harvest carefully to ensure the palm's survival. Saya also explains 'Oroo,' their unique communication system using branch signs, and the Penan motto, 'Jah Kenin' (We have the same heart).
In villages bordering reserved areas, some Penan have jobs in national parks and are allowed to hunt. The documentary highlights the lack of government support for Penan forced to settle. It also shows longhouses, woven rattan crafts, and the Penan's shift from animism to Christianity. Nyapun, an elder Penan chief, shares insights into their past nomadic life, and his wife plays the nose flute, showcasing their cultural heritage.
Bala demonstrates making traditional Penan barkcloth from the Beripun tree. The Penan possess extensive ethnobotanical knowledge, using over 1,500 plant names, including powerful medicinal plants like one used to treat snake bites. This plant famously saved the life of activist Bruno Manser, who lived with the Penan and fought against logging. Manser's disappearance and death in 2000 made him a hero for the Penan.
The filmmaker travels to meet the Iban tribe, historically known as headhunters. Unlike the Penan, the Iban use guns for hunting and are famous for their tattoos, which signify important life events. The segment contrasts the Iban's more aggressive history with the peaceful nature of the Penan, noting that some Iban still keep skulls as trophies.
Saya's family prepares for a jungle trip, highlighting their monkey guards and their ability to quickly build rainproof shelters. They demonstrate traditional fire-starting using a firestone and moss, and how to create plant candles for light. The children also craft 'Atip' (Penan forks), showcasing their innate survival skills and resourcefulness.
The filmmaker visits a displaced Penan community in central Sarawak, highlighting their isolation and lack of government support. He presents them with Bruno Manser's book. Villagers prepare ironwood blowpipes, a lengthy process that requires skilled hand drilling. The blowpipes, effective up to forty meters, are an essential hunting tool. The segment also notes the Penan's blend of modern and traditional attire and their protective gear against leeches.
The documentary features Sarawak's massive bat caves, showing millions of bats leaving at dusk. Village children demonstrate hunting small prey like birds and pygmy squirrels with blowpipes, using thorny palm for dart fletching. The film concludes by emphasizing the Penan's kindness, ingenuity, and profound knowledge of plants and nature. It warns that if their families continue to leave the rainforest, humanity risks losing this invaluable understanding.