Talking about Indonesia’s biodiversity, Papua is certainly incomplete without mentioning it. With approximately 33 million hectares of forest cover, Papua is home to more than 30% of Indonesia’s total forest cover.
However, according to a study by the Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation (PUSAKA), the trend of primary forest loss actually increased by 10% during 2023-2024 and is predicted to continue increasing. This reflects the lack of protection for forest sustainability from exploitative projects that plunder forest resources solely for the benefit of certain groups.
In collaboration with Aksa Bumi Langit, WeSpeakUp.org held a screening of “Teman Tegar, Maira: Whisper from Papua” to support efforts to raise awareness of the importance of forests for ecosystem sustainability and the issues of forest exploitation by irresponsible groups.
The event was held on February 11, 2026, at XXI One BelPark Mall, South Jakarta. Together with 97 people from various groups, including children, schoolchildren, university students, and arts activists, WeSpeakUp.org enjoyed the film, which featured lively musical performances and highlights of Papua’s biodiversity and culture.
The event began at 4:45 PM and lasted until the movie end. Participants not only enjoyed the screening but also engaged in an interactive Q&A session about Maira afterwards. The diverse age groups in the audience made this interactive quiz session even more exciting.
Not only were teenagers and adults enthusiastic about participating, but children were also eager to respond and answer the quiz. This interactive session showed that the attending audience was highly focused on enjoying the film screening.
The audience, especially children and teenagers, enthusiastically interacted with the movie’s director, Anggia Frisca, who was also present in person. Anggia expressed her gratitude that WeSpeakUp.org supported her work, so it could be shown on the big screen and bring conversations about forests and stories from Papua to cinemas, living rooms, and even to policymakers.
Anggia also hoped that the small things she did would grow, and that children would learn to love forests and nature more.
After the screening and interactive quiz, the WeSpeakUp.org team asked several audience members for their responses to the film. Sekar, a theatre actress, said: “The movie is really good. I really want to hear more Papuan voices in the Indonesian movie. This will raise our awareness (of issues in Papua).”
Meanwhile, Herlina, from the Lensa Anak Terminal community, said: “We learned that we must protect the environment, forests, seas, and rivers.”
Kaylan from UPN Veteran Jakarta also said, “The movie aren’t just entertaining; they also offer valuable insights and practical applications in our daily life.”
We hope this event will inspire the audience to continue working together to preserve Indonesia’s natural and cultural riches. It will also serve as a reminder that through community solidarity, we can make a difference and protect our shared living space.
Author:
Nafilah Safitri
Communication Officer, WeSpeakUp.org