Ricardo Vaz: You are preparing a new documentary film about a big island, Borneo, which is shared by three Asian countries. Which was the triggering factor for making this film now?
Andre Vltchek: The triggering factor was a simple shock. I’m not what you’d call an environmentalist. Of course, I care about our planet, about our wonderful creatures, plants, oceans, rivers and deserts. I don’t want them to suffer, to disappear. I wrote an entire book about the plight of South Pacific island nations, called Oceania, but that was all – I never made one single film about the environmental destruction.
Mount Kimabalu in Borneo, Malaysia
But after visiting Borneo earlier this year (2017), something changed inside me. The island used to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, covered by impenetrable tropical forests, high mountains, and mighty rivers. Its many kingdoms and cultures were self-sufficient and thoroughly unique. Thousands of animal species were coexisting in harmony, sharing the living space with other creatures like birds, butterflies and rare plants, trees and flowers. It was a magic, gentle and pure world…
And it was all not so long ago. Many things are even documented by stunning old photographs…
Then, Western colonialism changed, basically ruined everything; as it had ruined everything almost everything, all over the world.
Soon nothing left of Indonesia
Dutch and British invaders, showing no respect and no interest in local people…