JAKARTA | INDATANEWS.COM - Indonesian children's film Teman Tegar: Maira – Whisper from Papua has won the Global Peace and Friendship Award at the Universal Kids Film Festival 2026. Announced on 12 October 2026, the award recognises the film's message of peace, respect for Indigenous communities and environmental protection.
Produced by PT Aksa Bumi Langit and directed by
Anggi Frisca, the film explores friendship, the lives of children in Papua and the close relationship between Indigenous communities and the forests on which they depend.
Through the stories of Tegar and Maira, the film presents forests as more than landscapes rich in biodiversity. They are also places where local knowledge, cultural identity, livelihoods and the hopes of future generations are preserved.
Following its international festival success, the film is preparing to reach European audiences through a series of screenings in Belgium and Luxembourg from 2 to 7 November 2026. The screenings will give young audiences outside Indonesia an opportunity to learn about the lives of children in Papua and reflect on the relationship between people and nature, as well as the importance of cultural diversity.
Papua's Forests and the Future of Its Children
Director
Anggi Frisca places the relationship between people and forests at the heart of the film. For communities whose lives are closely connected to nature, forests are not simply resources to be exploited but essential parts of their lives that must be protected for future generations.
Forest destruction therefore threatens more than ecological balance. Environmental changes can disrupt community livelihoods, endanger knowledge passed down through generations and limit children's ability to preserve their homes and cultural heritage.
"The forest is a mother' is a central idea in this film. It is about a relationship in which we care for one another and are cared for in return. When the forest is destroyed, the lives, knowledge and future of the children who grow up with it are also threatened," Anggi said.
By grounding environmental themes in children's everyday experiences, the film makes complex issues more accessible to younger audiences. Friendship, loss, compassion and the courage to protect what matters become ways of exploring wider social and ecological challenges.
The story also encourages audiences to see conservation as inseparable from human rights and community welfare. Protecting forests means respecting the people who depend on them, including their right to be heard and to participate in decisions affecting the future of their surroundings.
ANGGI FRISCA HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING PAPUA'S FORESTS: Director Anggi Frisca emphasises the importance of preserving forests as the home of Indigenous communities, a source of local knowledge and an essential part of the future of Papua's children. (PHOTO: Aksa Bumi Langit)
Local Knowledge and the Voices of Papua's Children
Teman Tegar: Maira – Whisper from Papua also highlights the importance of local knowledge developed through generations of interaction with the natural environment. This includes understanding how natural resources can be used responsibly, recognising the limits of their use and maintaining the balance needed to sustain life over time.
Through Maira, the film shows that children learn beyond the classroom. Their families, communities and daily experiences shape how they understand nature and the relationship between people and their surroundings.
Anggi stressed that every community has its own experiences and knowledge, which cannot be generalised or separated from the cultural context in which they developed. Respecting the knowledge of Indigenous communities therefore means listening directly to them and acknowledging their decisions as they respond to change.
Rather than presenting Papua solely through its natural beauty, the film seeks to portray the region through the experiences of its people. Maira is depicted as a child with a home, social relationships, knowledge, aspirations and the courage to express her own experiences.
"What matters to me is whether people remember Maira's voice and struggle, alongside the landscape, after watching the film," Anggi said.
She acknowledged that the film offers one way of understanding Papua but cannot represent the full diversity of its communities and lived experiences. Filmmakers therefore have a responsibility to listen to the people whose stories and environments they bring to the screen, ensuring that their perspectives are treated with respect.
Children's Films as a Platform for Peace and Environmental Awareness
Anggi sees children's films as an effective way to introduce younger audiences to environmental challenges and the lives of Indigenous communities through emotionally engaging stories. Experiences such as friendship, loss, fear and the desire to protect something precious can help children understand wider issues without separating them from everyday life.
The film encourages audiences to ask broader questions: who lives in a particular region, what changes are affecting their environment, and why should children's voices be included in discussions about the future?
"A film certainly cannot explain the whole story or all the pressures faced by Indigenous communities. However, it can build empathy and raise questions: who lives there, what is happening to these people, and are their voices being heard?" Anggi said.
She hopes the film will encourage discussions in schools, families and communities. Beyond entertainment, it aims to create opportunities to learn about environmental protection, intercultural respect and shared responsibility.
These themes are closely connected to the film's message of peace. Peace is not limited to relationships between individuals; it also requires a willingness to listen to other groups, respect differences and understand the challenges that shape how communities live together.
For children, learning about the experiences of other communities can help develop empathy from an early age. Film offers a way to show them that every community has its own stories, challenges and hopes that deserve attention.
INDONESIAN CHILDREN'S FILM PREPARES TO REACH EUROPEAN AUDIENCES: Teman Tegar: Maira – Whisper from Papua is scheduled for a series of screenings in Belgium and Luxembourg from 2 to 7 November 2026, encouraging dialogue about peace, environmental protection and cultural diversity. (PHOTO: Aksa Bumi Langit)
European Screenings in Belgium and Luxembourg
Following its success at the Universal Kids Film Festival 2026, Teman Tegar: Maira – Whisper from Papua is preparing for its European screenings as part of the Filem'On International Film Festival for Young Audiences. The film has also been selected for the CIFEJ Award for Feature Films category.
The screenings are scheduled for early November 2026. On 2 November, Teman Tegar is due to be shown at Cinema Flagey in Brussels, with support from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brussels.
A further screening of Teman Tegar: Maira – Whisper from Papua is planned in Belgium on 3 November. The programme is expected to include events in Ghent and at Bozar in Brussels. The film's European journey will then continue in Luxembourg, with a screening at Utopia Cinema on 7 November 2026.
The film's participation in international festivals and European cinemas offers an opportunity to introduce the stories of children from Papua to young audiences from different cultural backgrounds. Alongside showcasing Indonesian filmmaking, the screenings are intended to encourage discussion about friendship, environmental sustainability, the rights of Indigenous communities and respect for cultural diversity.
Anggi hopes the film's international recognition will extend beyond the award ceremony, helping create more opportunities for children in Papua to share their stories, experiences and hopes for the future.
"Their future must be discussed together with them," she said.
Through Tegar and Maira's stories, the film reminds audiences that the future of Papua's forests cannot be separated from that of the people who live alongside them. These forests sustain ecosystems while safeguarding knowledge, culture and livelihoods. Discussions about sustainability must therefore include local communities, particularly children, who will inherit the consequences of decisions made today.
The Global Peace and Friendship Award recognises the film's international message. Beyond its achievement in cinema, the film's journey abroad offers an opportunity to broaden international discussions about peace, environmental protection and children's participation in shaping their own futures.
About Teman Tegar: Maira - Whisper from Papua
Teman Tegar: Maira - Whisper from Papua is a children's film directed by Anggi Frisca and produced by PT Aksa Bumi Langit. It explores friendship, children's lives and the relationship between people and nature in Papua. The film won the Global Peace and Friendship Award at the Universal Kids Film Festival 2026, with the award announced on 12 October 2026.
(IDNC)REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala