A rivetting documentary about a proud people

BY WAYNE COLES-JANESS

BOUGAINVILLE OUR ISLAND, OUR FIGHT is a powerful film about an indigenous people taking up arms for independence to protect their culture and stop the ecological devastation of their lands.

This multi award winning documentary is about one of the last wars for independence.

It smuggles us across borders into the world of the besieged people of Bougainville.

During the civil war, cut off from all humanitarian aid and invisible to the western media, their only resource was their resolve to fight for independence in an attempt to preserve their culture and environment.

This is the only documentary of the longest war in the South Pacific. A war that resulted in the deaths of 20, 000 people who live just two hours from Australia.

You can find out more here - http://itunes.apple.com/au/movie/bougainville-our-island-our/id397699853

Comments

[Wayne Coles-Janess]

Dear Leonard - Thank you for your kind comments in relation to my Bougainville documentary.

I have been working to document the positive things that have occurred on the island. This includes the ongoing documenting of the progress that Bougainville has made on its road to peace.

Returning to Bougainville a number of times to film the signing of the ceasefire agreement, the peace agreement negotiations, the peace monitoring group and UN along with the elections and campaigning. -and of course the evolution and changes for the people of Bougainville.

I hope to one day raise funds to enable a comprehensive and positive production on the Melanesian solution to “conflict resolution" and the ongoing positive developments for Bougainville, its people, PNG and the region.

I hope through film we can communicate positives and bring about understanding among people and cultures.

With kind regards...

Wayne Coles-Janess

[Leonard Roka]

Wayne -This is a lovely piece. I regularly watch the documentary (and other works on Bougainville) to get back into my island's past.

For me, this one is always emotional because of the fact that my immediate family members were involved as leaders and also our family, lost our beloved members (another three carry the scars of bullet wounds) to both sides of the conflict - PNGDF and BRA.

For Bougainvilleans, this should be an added collection if we truly love our island.

Thanks Wayne for your personal sacrifice to filming my island's story for the good of our future.