Heckler Singapore in collaboration with Studio Birthplace has announced its work on ‘Earth Defender’, a powerful music film that highlights the sacrifices made to protect nature. The film casts light on the tragic loss of life among Indigenous communities working to defend Earth’s wilderness, where every 48 hours, an Earth Defender is reported missing or killed while protecting vital ecosystems.
Set in the Sungai Utik community of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, ‘Earth Defender’ follows the story of a father and son who strive to protect their rainforest home. Directed by Studio Birthplace and 19-year-old Indigenous filmmaker Kynan Tegar, the film features a haunting score by Novo Amor and includes striking visual effects created by Heckler Singapore.
Led by creative director Cody Amos, Heckler Singapore’s VFX team took on the technical challenges of depicting forest destruction with captivating realism. Scenes include a symbolic battle, a serene night sky, and a powerful sequence where trees fold and the earth opens to guide the father into the afterlife.
Using on-location drone footage, 3D/2D enhancements, and a blend of props and CGI, the VFX work vividly captures the scale of deforestation. From aerial shots revealing widespread forest loss to CG birds falling from the sky, the effects intensify the film’s portrayal of environmental devastation and the hero’s passage into the afterlife.
“This was the sort of project I wish I could work on every single day,” said Cody Amos.
“Firstly, the technical VFX challenges were huge! Building a forest in CG is one thing, but getting the whole forest to fall over is completely another. We built a cool system to destroy huge trees and then duplicated them, so we had thousands of trees falling and breaking.
“We also did some sad dead bird simulations and splashes, some epic matte painting work, along with creating a really abstract depiction of our hero moving on to the next life. To be doing such interesting work is already exciting, but to be doing it for a project that is addressing probably the most important issue of our time, the destruction of our natural world, felt like such an honour. And of course, working with the legends at Studio Birthplace is always delightful.”
On the philosophy behind the film, Studio Birthplace co-directors Jorik Dozy and Sil van der Woerd explain that Indigenous and Earth Defender voices must be amplified because they lead some of the most important work on the front line of climate and human rights crises.
“We went through a really intense process with the community, doing multiple community meetings, where the whole project was openly discussed,” said Jorik.
“As filmmakers, we’re used to having a certain degree of control, but working outdoors with a large community taught us to let go and flow with the moment. When it rained or the river flooded, we adapted. Everything given by the actors – who are all people from the Sungai Utik community – we considered a gift. It brought a beautiful unpredictability.”
“A full month we spent mostly disconnected from the internet, taking our morning showers in the river and spending our evenings on the comfortable wooden floors of the longhouse, amidst the community,” added Sil.
“We learned so much, not just as filmmakers, but spiritually too, as we started to see how incredibly far our individualistic Western culture has drifted away from living in harmony with the natural world. In a way, we became students, learning what it means to be Indigenous.”
“This film is about the very real problems that exist within our world, the criminalization and the murder of Earth Defenders,” added co-director Kynan Tegar.
“Indigenous Peoples that fought for their land, their forests, their rivers, and gave the biggest sacrifice, which is their life. There are communities whose whole livelihood was taken from them.
“The very part of their identity, which is the nature surrounding them, taken from them, ripped away. That’s a story that rang very close to home for me. That’s the story that we want to convey.”
Credits
Production Company: Studio Birthplace
Film Directors/Writers: Jorik Dozy, Sil van der Woerd & Kynan Tegar
Executive Producer: Alea Rahim
Producer: Sara Kong
Line Producer: Agustina Merdekawaty (Tina)
Researcher & Production Assistant: Theresa Cellona
Researcher & Social Media Manager – Marsya Mohd Johari
Strategic Partnerships: Liv Merry
Director of Photography: Nicholas Chin
1st AC: Kiefer Daniel Yu
2nd AC: Tim Chan
Camera Assist: Sandra Cai En
Art Director: Pawadi Jihad
Assistant Art Director: Ricky
Production & Art Dept Assistant: Pinki
Production & Art Dept Assistant: Topik
Music Artist: Novo Amor
Commissioner: Believe
Casting & Community Organiser: Indai Flora
Community Coordinator: Apai Salem
Community Support: Herkulanus Sutomo Manna
BTS & Stills Photographer: Jakub Chlouba
Editors: Jorik Dozy & Sil van der Woerd
Visual Effects Company: Heckler Singapore
Visual Effects Creative Director: Cody Amos
Executive Producer: Charu Menon
Head of Production: Xinhui Zheng
FX Artists: Cody Amos, Yong Soon Ong & Sen Ree Ooi
Lead Compositor: Davor Zec
Compositors: Azreena Ahmad & Johnson Lim
CG Artist: Mohammed Nizam Abdul Khaliff
IO: Craig Woo
Grading Company: Harbor Picture Company
Head of Colour Production, UK: Charlie Morris
Executive Creative Director, UK: Charlie Morris
Colourist: Alex Gregory
Sound Designer: Joe Wills
You can adopt the Indigenous Peoples Act in Indonesia or sign the pledge.
