The Cinematic Exploration of Indonesian Sulfur Mining
On May 6, 2014, Meridian and ITVS hosted a screening of Where Heaven Meets Hell as part of the Global Perspectives Film Series. Where Heaven Meets Hell follows the lives of three of the nearly 500 sulfur miners working in Kawah Ijen, a spectacular active volcano in Indonesia. This intimate portrait chronicles the miners’ attempts to escape the endemic poverty and lack of education that haunts their community.
We were joined by Samuel Tumiwa, Deputy Regional Director at the Asian Development Bank, and filmmaker Sasha Friedlander, Director, Producer, Cinematographer, and Editor of Where Heaven Meets Hell, who joined remotely via Adobe Connect. Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon with the Center for Global Development’s Forest and Climate Team moderated the discussion and guided audience Q&A, which covers topics ranging from the implementation of conditional cash transfers, microfinance opportunities, to access to education and worker safety for the miners.
About Global Perspectives Film Series:
Now in its fifth year, The Global Perspective Film Series, a partnership between Meridian and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), is a series of documentary film screenings, each focusing on a particular region of the world. These films provide insight into these regions as well as into issues of global concern, including gender inequality, the environment, and human rights. Each event features a special guest, typically an issue or region expert, who leads an interactive discussion on the film, providing further depth to the issues highlighted in the documentary.
