GODS BEHIND MOUNTAINS

SYNOPSIS: Deep in the highlands of West Papua, an 18-year-old Indigenous boy named Matheo is chosen by his village to travel far from home for an education — a journey that becomes a window into the region’s turbulent history and its Indigenous Papuan people’s ongoing struggle for self-determination. This documentary weaves together intimate personal storytelling with the sweeping political backdrop of Indonesia’s contested province, illuminating a conflict rarely seen on Western screens. Equal parts coming-of-age story and urgent testimony, it gives voice to a people fighting to preserve their land, culture, and identity.

DIRECTOR: Jürgen Groh

YEAR: 2015 | COLOR

COUNTRY: Germany, Indonesia | GENRE: Documentary