'Wild Indonesia,' a celebration of the archipelago

'Wild Indonesia,' a celebration of the archipelago

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will be in the international spotlight
once again in the new documentary, Wild Indonesia.

The one-hour film is being produced by Bristol-based Tigress
Productions, an independent television production company.

Andrew Jackson, the company's series producer, told The
Jakarta Post in a recent interview that Wild Indonesia is an
ambitious project.

"We are trying to cover the wildlife and cultural activities
of Indonesia's 27 provinces from Aceh to Irian Jaya in a 60-
minute program. It's a very challenging project," said Jackson.

To realize the project, America's Disney Channel and education
channel Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) have provided US$1
million. Disney and PBS will also distribute the film in the
United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.

It is the third time the company has featured Indonesia in its
documentary works. The company's first production on Indonesia
was made two years ago. The documentary, hosted by Oscar-
nominated actor Bo Hoskins, featured the life of Indonesian
tigers. The second production portrayed Indonesia's orangutans.

"These previous documentaries have opened the eyes of many
Western people and gave new perspectives on Indonesia," Jackson
explained.

Mark Shand, a consultant for the project, said that Indonesia
is enormously rich in both animal and plant life. It is home to
10 percent of the world's plant species, 12 percent of the
world's mammal species, 16 percent of the world's reptile and
amphibian species and 17 percent of the world's bird species.

Not only are the percentages impressive, but many of the
species concerned are endemic -- that is, found here and nowhere
else, such as the Komodo dragon on Komodo Island in East Nusa
Tenggara, or the Cendrawasih (Bird of Paradise) in Irian Jaya, he
said.

Although some countries have more species than Indonesia, it
is unlikely that any has a more diverse and unique wildlife,
because diversity measures not just by quantity but also by
variety, he said.

"Our main objective is to record all of these enormous natural
riches and to inform the Western audience about Indonesia,"
Jackson added.

Information about Indonesia is still scarce in Western
countries, said Shand, who is also one of the world's famous
experts in elephants.

The Indonesian government, he said, has been widely criticized
for its environmental policies. "But, before criticizing any
country, one must know exactly the condition of that country.
Criticisms lodged by Western environmentalists about Indonesia's
environmental issues were often misleading and groundless.

"I hope that our documentary will give a clearer and objective
picture on Indonesia, its people as well as its natural
treasures," Jackson explained.

It may take two years to produce Wild Indonesia, Jackson said.
The project will move from Komodo Island to Banda Island and
continue to Indonesia's other provinces. The project involves
three directors, six cameramen and a number of crew members. The
documentary will focus on Indonesian flora and fauna with various
traditional cultural activities as backdrops for the film.

Wild Indonesia is divided into three parts. The first part is
the introductory section on Indonesia, consisting of nearly
14,000 islands. The country divides quite neatly into two parts.
The first is western Indonesia comprising Sumatra, Kalimantan,
Java and Bali. The second is the eastern part of Indonesia
spanning from Sulawesi to Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara and Irian
Jaya.

This introductory section stresses the difference in
geological conditions between Indonesia's western and eastern
parts as reflected in their wildlife. The western islands, also
called Sundaland, have many biological and cultural similarities
with the Malaysian peninsula and the Philippines since they have
been an extension of the Asian continent.

The eastern islands sit on the Shahul Shelf, an extension of
the northern part of Australia. The Australian types of flora and
fauna survive in the region because they are adapted to the
continent's dry and scrubby landscape.

The second part of the documentary shows the difference in
flora and fauna conditions and how the country gained such
diversity. The third part portrays a large number of flora and
fauna endemic to Indonesia.

"The richness of Indonesian wildlife doesn't belong to the
country only. They are part of the world's heritages that should
be preserved and proud of," said Jackson. (raw)