Documentary Film 'Wanam' Highlights Papua's Future Through Food Security
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Wardhana Nawasena Network Foundation has launched a documentary film entitled ‘Wanam: Menanam Masa Depan di Tanah Papua’ (Wanam: Planting a Future in the Land of Papua) at an event held in the Blok M area of South Jakarta on Thursday.
The film tells the story of the transformation of the Wanam area in Merauke Regency, South Papua, which is projected to become one of the centres of national food security development.
Former Head of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) Yudi Latif, who attended the film’s launch, said Papua holds immense historical, ecological and geopolitical importance for Indonesia and the world alike.
Papua’s biological wealth and natural resources constitute a strategic asset that must be managed wisely.
“Papua possesses extraordinary natural wealth and draws the world’s attention. The uniqueness of its flora, fauna and resource potential is an important part of Indonesia’s future,” Yudi said in a written statement.
Meanwhile, Dean Ramella, patron of the Wardhana Nawasena Network Foundation, highlighted the considerable influence of social media in shaping public perception of various national strategic issues.
According to him, developments in information technology present both opportunities and challenges for society in filtering information.
He said Indonesia’s ambitions to achieve food self-sufficiency, energy self-sufficiency and technological mastery will always face a range of dynamics, including the emergence of various narratives circulating in the digital sphere.
“When Indonesia strives to achieve independence through food and energy self-sufficiency, there will always be challenges. That is why the public needs the ability to sift through information so as not to be easily swayed by narratives that are not necessarily verified,” he said.
Dean noted that social media has now become an arena of information contestation capable of shaping public opinion rapidly. For this reason, the public is expected to become increasingly critical in processing the information that circulates.
The film depicts the major changes taking place in Ilwayab District, Merauke Regency, South Papua. An area previously known as swampland, wetlands and a region with limited transport access is now developing into a strategic zone for national food development.
The documentary illustrates how development is carried out through the opening of road access, the construction of irrigation systems, drainage management and the application of modern agricultural technology adapted to the characteristics of swampy land.
This transformation forms part of the national food estate development programme included in the National Strategic Projects (PSN), which aims to strengthen Indonesia’s food security amid rising food demand, climate change and global geopolitical challenges.
The film also shows the lengthy development process involving various parties, from technical staff and manual labourers to the central government, regional governments and local communities.
Beyond agricultural infrastructure development, the documentary also highlights the involvement of indigenous communities and local residents in the development of the Wanam area.
Various employment opportunities have begun to open up through the construction of production roads, land cultivation and other supporting service sectors. Community economic activity has gradually increased as the area develops.
The film emphasises that development is not solely oriented towards increasing food production, but is also expected to create community welfare, open up jobs, widen access to education and health services, and still preserve Papua’s cultural values and local wisdom.
The documentary reaches its climax when it shows the rice harvest process in the Wanam area in 2025. That moment is portrayed as a symbol of the successful transformation of swampland into productive farmland through planned management.
For the local community, the harvest is not merely a production output, but a symbol of the birth of new hope for the economic future, job opportunities and the sustainability of development in the land of Papua.
Through the film, the Wardhana Nawasena Network Foundation hopes the public will gain a more complete picture of development dynamics in Papua whilst raising awareness of the importance of digital literacy and responsible use of social media.
The documentary also invites the public to see Papua not only as a region with vast natural wealth, but as an important part of Indonesia’s food security and development future.