The Road to Home

Last updated

The Road to Home
The-Road-to-Home-Benny-Wenda.jpg
Directed byDominic Brown
Produced byDancing Turtle Films
Release date
  • 4 July 2015 (2015-07-04)
Running time
53 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Road to Home is a 2015 feature-length documentary [1] about Benny Wenda, the West Papuan independence leader and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. [2] Since his escape from an Indonesian prison in 2002, [3] where he was held in isolation and tortured as a political prisoner, [4] Benny has been an unceasing crusader on the international scene, campaigning to bring about an end to the suffering of his people at the hands of Indonesia's colonial regime. [5]

Contents

Background

Granted political asylum in the UK in 2004, Wenda's freedom of movement was restricted in 2011 when, at the behest of the Indonesian government, Interpol issued a ‘red notice’ putting him at extreme risk of extradition should he travel. [6] The following year the ‘red notice’ was lifted after being deemed "predominantly political in nature". [7] Wenda then embarked on a worldwide "Freedom Tour" [8] to build support and awareness for the West Papuan Independence movement. To date Benny has performed and spoken in such diverse places as New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Poland, the United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the United States of America, and many others.

Production

The film was produced and directed by British filmmaker Dominic Brown, and shot over a two-year period, [9] with the filmmaker joining Benny Wenda on his overseas trips including his appearance at the Oslo Freedom Forum, [10] and his first official overseas tour to the US, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

Awards

Best Documentary Feature - Amsterdam Film Festival, 2016 [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch New Guinea</span> 1949–1962 Dutch possession in Oceania

Dutch New Guinea or Netherlands New Guinea was the western half of the island of New Guinea that was a part of the Dutch East Indies until 1949, later an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. It contained what are now Indonesia's six easternmost provinces, Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, which were administered as a single province prior to 2003 under the name Irian Jaya, and now comprise the Papua region of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korowai people</span> Indigenous ethnic group of Indonesia

The Korowai, also called the Kolufo, live in southeastern Papua in the Indonesian provinces of South Papua and Highland Papua. Their tribal area is split by the borders of Boven Digoel Regency, Mappi Regency, Asmat Regency, and Yahukimo Regency. They number about 4000 to 4400 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Papua Movement</span> Separatist movement in Western New Guinea

The Free Papua Movement or Free Papua Organization is a name given to a separatist movement that aims to separate West Papua from Indonesia and establish an independent state in the region. The territory is currently divided into six Indonesian provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, also formerly known as Papua, Irian Jaya and West Irian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of West Papua</span> Proposed state consisting of the Western New Guinea region

The Republic of West Papua, alternatively known as the Federal Republic of West Papua is a quasi-state consisting of the Western New Guinea region, which is currently part of Indonesia on the continent of Oceania. The region has been part of Indonesia since 1 May 1963 under several names in the following order, West Irian, Irian Jaya, and Papua. Today the region comprises six Indonesian provinces: Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua, South Papua, West Papua, and Southwest Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Act of Free Choice</span> 1969 referendum in Western New Guinea

The Act of Free Choice was a controversial plebiscite held between 14 July and 2 August 1969 in which 1,025 people selected by the Indonesian military in Western New Guinea voted unanimously in favor of Indonesian control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western New Guinea</span> Region of Indonesia on the island of New Guinea

Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua, the region is also called West Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Liberation Movement for West Papua</span> West Papua independence umbrella organization

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) is an organization formed from the merger of three political independence movements seeking independence for Western New Guinea from Indonesia. The ULMWP was formed on 7 December 2014 in Vanuatu uniting the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) and the National Parliament of West Papua (NPWP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanesian Spearhead Group</span> Intergovernmental organization

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) is an intergovernmental organization, composed of the four Melanesian states of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia. In June 2015, Indonesia was recognized as an associate member.

Benny Giay is a theologian, a social anthropologist, and an activist, known for his activities in reconciliation to protect the rights of the Papuans of the Western, Indonesian controlled, part of New Guinea.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) is a nonprofit US organization supporting human rights throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania. ETAN was founded in 1991 to support the right to self-determination of Timor-Leste. In 1999, that goal was significantly realized when the people of East Timor voted for independence. Since then ETAN has focused on building on its success in support of justice and self-determination in Timor-Leste and the surrounding region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lani Singers</span>

The Lani Singers are husband and wife Benny and Maria Wenda. They come from the Baliem Valley in the remote central highland region of West Papua in the south-west Pacific, and play songs that are rooted in the sacred rituals of the Lani tribe. It is claimed that the way of living of those living in this part of West Papua has remained largely unchanged since the Stone Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Parliamentarians for West Papua</span>

The International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) are a cross-party political group of politicians from around the world who support self-determination for the people of the Indonesian region of West Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Wenda</span> West Papuan activist

Benny Wenda is a West Papuan independence leader and Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). He is an international lobbyist for the independence of West Papua from Indonesia. He lives in exile in the United Kingdom. In 2003 he was granted political asylum by the British government following his escape from custody while on trial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papua conflict</span> 1962–present separatist conflict in Indonesian New Guinea

The Papua conflict is an ongoing conflict in Western New Guinea (Papua) between Indonesia and the Free Papua Movement. Subsequent to the withdrawal of the Dutch administration from the Netherlands New Guinea in 1962 and implementation of Indonesian administration in 1963, the Free Papua Movement has conducted a low-intensity guerrilla war against Indonesia by targeting its military and police, along with ordinary Indonesian civilians.

Dominic Brown is an English independent documentary filmmaker, based in London.

Mathias Wenda was the Commander in Chief of the West Papua Revolutionary Army (WPRA). He has been active in West Papua independence movement since his early age in his village, Pyramid, West Papua. In 1977, became the leader of the fight against the Indonesian occupation. He fled to Papua New Guinea upon the surrender of most of the villagers in 1980.

Airileke "Airi" David Ingram, also referred to mononymously as Airileke, is a Papua New Guinean-Australian musician and producer. His album Weapon of Choice was nominated at the ARIA Music Awards of 2013 for Best World Music Album.

Febriana Firdaus is an Indonesian investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker known for highlighting discrimination against LGBT people, West Papuan independence, and the 1965–1966 anti-communist mass killings; all of which are often considered taboo topics in Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Papua National Liberation Army</span> Armed wing of the Free Papua Organization

The West Papua National Liberation Army, officially referred to in Indonesia as the Armed Criminal Group, and after 2021, Separatist Terrorist Group, is a Western New Guinean insurgent group in Indonesia. It is the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement.

References

  1. "The Road To Home - Benny Wenda documentary - Dancing Turtle Films". Dancing Turtle Films. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  2. "Benny Wenda nominated for Peace Prize again". The Oslo Times. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  3. "As Indonesia Threatens West Papuan Freedom Flotilla, Benny Wenda on Struggle for Independence". Democracy Now . Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  4. "Free West Papua - Benny Wenda's Story". freewestpapua.org. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  5. "Benny Wenda: 'West Papuans are living in a prison'". 5 August 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  6. Hyslop, Leah (28 November 2011). "Benny Wenda: 'There's a silent genocide going on in West Papua'" . Retrieved 20 November 2018 via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  7. Shaw, Danny (6 August 2012). "Man given asylum off wanted list". BBC News . Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  8. "Freedom Tour announcement - The Office of Benny Wenda". bennywenda.org. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  9. "About". The Road to Home. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  10. "Speakers: Benny Wenda". Oslo Freedom Forum. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  11. "Amsterdam Film Festival - Amsterdam Screenplay Contest - 2016 Winners". Amsterdam Film Festival. Retrieved 20 November 2018.