Deep in the heart of Borneo, near Kapit, Sarawak, I interview an Iban Chief about logging of his Tribal Land. Iban activist Peter John Jaban acts as translator of the Iban Language.
The Iban still live off the Jungle; hunting, fishing and growing crops. They live together in longhouses and were originally known for the practise of headhunting, that is beheading any strangers or neighbouring tribes to maintain and expand their hunting grounds.
In the darkest deepest jungles of Borneo, I met a shaman of the headhunter Iban tribe. I handed him my camera, and through a translator, asked him to make my video look like cinematic film.
He opened the LCD, went to the custom preset menu, and after a flurry of button pushing, handed me back my camera with a toothless grin. This is the Shaman’s custom film preset….enjoy!!
No colour correction in post, daylight shots -6db, indoor shots +12db. XF100, Cine.F preset
I’m heading up the river, deep into the jungle. In search of my own heart of darkness. I have cut all ties with society, my home land.
I am free, but unsure what to do with that freedom. And this is an interesting conundrum for those wanting to live the dream of the travel lifestyle. So I want to explore this in my videos, examine the realities of living a lifestyle where one is not tied to place or job.
Now the real adventure starts, deep in the Borneo jungle, the true nature of man is revealed. I’ve made contact with the local Iban people, an indigenous tribe who in the past were headhunters.
Tomorrow I visit one of the last remaining Shaman chiefs, living traditionally in a village longhouse.
“Lacking an external focus, the mind turns inward on itself and creates problems to solve, even if the problems are undefined or unimportant. If you find a focus, an ambitious goal that seems impossible and forces you to grow, these doubts disappear.” (Tim Ferris)
