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A new powerful ocean conservation film from Blue Ventures

For over four centuries, the guardians of Haruku have preserved their local environment and traditional customs. In a changing world and as the grip of climate change takes hold, can this customary management approach prevail?

Following on from the multi-award-winning Kokoly,  Blue Ventures presents another powerful ocean conservation film at the intersection between climate change, conservation and culture. For four centuries, the Kewang of Haruku has been striving to maintain the link between culture and the environment. As climate change bites, threatening an important fishery for the community, Om-Eli and other members of the Kewang, reflect on their place in a rapidly changing world.

This new, narrative short ocean film was produced by Blue Ventures, with support from Bloomberg Ocean Initiative

The team:

Blue Ventures is a global marine conservation NGO, dedicated to rebuilding tropical fisheries with coastal communities.

Indah Rufiati is an Indonesian scientist and conservationist. Usually working with coastal communities to help them understand and improve their fisheries, Indah turned her focus to film in her directorial debut.

Matthew Judge is a filmmaker, producer and editor known for his previous work on ocean conservation film Kokoly.

Awards and festivals:

  • 2024 International Ocean Film Festival (virtual edition) – April 2024 – San Francisco, USA
  • 2024 Ocean Films Húsavík (Iceland) – TBC –  Húsavík, Iceland
  • 2024 Bali International Film Festival – June 2024 – Bali, Indonesia
  • 2024 WildOceans Film Fest – November 2024 – Gijón, Spain
A male member of the Kewang, stands tall in the forest. Benny is one of the lead characters in our new ocean conservation film
All family members of the Kewang, painted onto the side of a wooden house. The Kewang family lead ocean and forest conservation in their illage.
Om Eli, the leader of the Kewang and star of this ocean conservation film plays a guitar and sings whenever new guests arrive.
Mama Lis prepares a fish supper for guests staying at the Kewang house.
A young fisher repairs his net, ready for a day on the sea.
Stormy skies over Haruku island mark the start of the rainy season.
Mama Liz tends to her chickens
Fish caught on the reef almost universally go to feed families on the island. There is almost no export market for fish caught by islanders.

This ocean conservation film was created by Blue Ventures and supported by a Bloomberg Oceans Initiative grant, a project of Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Beyond Our Borders a donor-advised fund held at The Women’s Foundation of Colorado

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