Stories of land stewardship and connection: Video with Kynan Tegar (If Not Us Then Who)

Kynan Tegar is a 19-year-old photographer and filmmaker from the Dayak Iban tribe of the island of Borneo, Indonesia. Living in and around the traditional longhouse of his village, he learns directly from the elders, their wisdom and values, their stories of resistance in the face of encroaching deforestation, and the threats to their way of life. Picking up his first camera as an inquisitive twelve year old, he was making his first short films soon after. Working with this new medium he crafts thoughtful and emotive imagery, highlighting the quiet daily lives of the people and the community within his tranquil village. Documenting their traditional knowledge, and highlighting the importance of balance with nature. Through filmmaking, activism, and policy engagement, he amplifies the voices of indigenous communities and articulates the challenges that they face, carrying forward the legacy of his elders, championing the rights of his people.