About the film
In Post-production. Running Wild Media is teaming up with Planet Indonesia in a co-production to bring you a story from the mountains of Indonesia.
Set in one of the world’s oldest rainforests in Indonesia, Guardians of Hutan follows the resilience of two Indigenous Dayak communities as they fight to reclaim their deep cultural and spiritual connection to the land. This bond was disrupted in the 1980s when their land rights were stripped away, and forests were transformed into protected areas and concessions for resource extraction.
The film weaves together two powerful stories of conservation and redemption. Pak Vera, a former poacher turned dedicated conservationist, now protects rare species like the helmeted hornbill and works to inspire others to do the same. Meanwhile, Pak Man is forming a ranger patrol team to safeguard orangutans and their habitat. As Pak Vera travels to mentor Pak Man, they confront pressing threats, including deforestation, illegal mining, and poaching—proving that conservation is not just about protecting wildlife, but about restoring a way of life.
Hutan is the Bahasa Indonesian word for “forest"
The Main Characters
Pak Vera
As a young man, he participated in gold mining, logging, and the illegal killing of a helmeted hornbill, but his love for the forest never weaned. Now, he works as a forest ranger, and protects the very resources and animals he once exploited. He regrets his actions, and is now focused on protection and educating others on how to conserve this important species.
Pak Man
Pak Man is a rising conservation leader who has recently stepped into the role of community patrol leader. Driven by a deep commitment to his people, he is dedicated to protecting the surrounding forest from poaching, deforestation, and illegal mining. He trains local community members to become rangers, equipping them to safeguard their land, while also collaborating with Pak Vera.
Helmeted hornbill
This is one of the largest hornbill species in the world and is critically endangered due to the poaching of their casques for ornamental use in the illegal wildlife trade. This bird is important and is protected by communities.
science Research
Planet Indonesia supports community-led biodiversity monitoring teams that study the hornbill in the wild. Through countless hours of observations, this team learns about all the intimate details of the birds natural history.
Protecting Hutan
Community-led ranger patrols supported by Planet Indonesia protect wildlife by living nearby in the forest and preventing illegal activity from occurring. Their dedication protect these species from extinction.
Production Photo Gallery
About planet indonesia
Planet Indonesia is an Indonesian based conservation organization focused on the preservation of biodiversity through supporting community-led governance in rural communities associated with protected areas in West Kalimantan, Borneo.
behind the scenes
