It follows Badjao, the Borneo sea nomads, who are pushed near extinction by modern civilization. They spend most of their life in water, hunting, and hold no IDs, citizenship or money. But driving jobs are booming, forcing them to leave their native sea for the city suburbs. "Their culture will vanish," says film producer Monika Braid. “Should we protect nature without taking care of people first?”
Filming since May 2011 in locations including Borneo, Sulu and Celebes Sea, the project should wrap in spring. Underwater sequences are hoped give the film a poetic tone. Director Eliza Kubarska, who specializes in adventure filmmaking, made the documentary What Happened On Pam Island, currently touring the festival circuit and distributed by First Hand Films (www.firsthandfilms.com).
On the Sea with Badjao is a Polish, German and English co-production with British Braidmade Films (www.brademaidfilms.co.uk), Vertical Vision Film Studio from Poland and Germany's Kloos & Co. (www.kloosundco.de) onboard. The project has Polish Film Institute (www.pisf.pl) and Arte/ZDF (www.zdf.de) support and a budget is 400,000 EUR.
Rise and Shine World Sales (www.riseandshine-berlin.com) has first option rights on international sales and premiere is December 2013.
Production Contact:
Braidmade Films
183 Anerley Road
SE20 8EF London, UK
Phone: +44 20 8776 5942
Producers:
Monika Braid (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) & Kasia Skibińska (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
WARSAW: Polish, German and English crews are in production On the Sea with Badjao, a documentary that shows an ironic clash of cultures that knows no winner.
Published in
Poland