Singapore, 14 November 2024 – In a world where nature’s guardians are constantly at risk, ‘Earth Defender’ emerges as a hauntingly beautiful music film highlighting the immense sacrifices of Indigenous people in their mission to protect the Earth’s dwindling wilderness. Released by Studio Birthplace, the film follows a father and son from the Sungai Utik community in Indonesia, portraying the devastating reality faced by many Indigenous Earth defenders, who every 48 hours face violence or even death for their environmental advocacy.
Directed by Studio Birthplace and Indigenous filmmaker Kynan Tegar, with a haunting score by Novo Amor, this emotionally charged narrative gains depth with Heckler Singapore’s visual effects (VFX) expertise, led by Creative Director Cody Amos.
Bringing Destruction to Life – The Art of VFX
The VFX team at Heckler Singapore recreated breathtaking yet tragic scenes, vividly illustrating the fragility of nature. Using advanced CG techniques, the team masterfully crafted a sequence where trees collapse, symbolizing the immense loss that environmental degradation brings to our planet and its Indigenous stewards.
“This was the sort of project I wish I could work on every single day,” says Amos. “Building a forest in CG is one thing, but getting the whole forest to fall over is completely another. We built a cool system to destroy huge trees and then duplicated them, so we had thousands of trees falling and breaking.”
The Power of Partnership
For Studio Birthplace, working with the Indigenous Sungai Utik community brought unforeseen beauty and challenges, according to co-directors Jorik Dozy and Sil van der Woerd.
“We went through a really intense process with the community, doing multiple community meetings, where the whole project was openly discussed,” says Jorik. Sil adds, “We spent a month mostly disconnected from the internet, learning from the community and experiencing their way of life.”
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A Tribute to Indigenous Resilience and Spirit
Kynan Tegar shares his motivation behind the project: “This film is about the very real problems that exist within our world, the criminalization and the murder of Earth Defenders. Indigenous Peoples that fought for their land, their forests, their rivers, and gave the biggest sacrifice, which is their life. That’s the story that we want to convey.”
With over one-third of the world’s intact forests under Indigenous guardianship, the role of these Earth Defenders has never been more crucial.
About Heckler Singapore
Heckler Singapore is a global, award-winning design, VFX, and production studio known for its striking visual narratives.
About Studio Birthplace
Studio Birthplace is founded in 2019, Studio Birthplace is committed to telling the world’s untold stories to spark change. Its films, including ‘Earth Defender,’ have garnered 100+ awards and over 250 million views.
