Kynan T.

Kynan was raised in a mixed cultural environment, influenced by both urban and rural backgrounds of his parents. This dual upbringing has given him distinct perspectives on indigenous communities who were closely connected to nature and city dwellers who relied on technological innovation. As he grew up, Kynan took on the role of a translator for foreign visitors who came to his village, Sungai Utik. Kynan was intrigued by their interest in learning about local values and efforts in preserving the forests. This  awareness fueled Kynan’s passion for sharing indigenous knowledge with the world through documentary videos. At the age of 13, Kynan embarked on his filmmaking journey by creating his first movie, “Mali Umai”, which was later screened at the Bali International Indigenous Film Festival. This documentary also served as a supporting material for the Dayak Iban community to gain their full rights to the forest under the Customary Forest Decree in 2019. Currently, Kynan and his team are working on a film titled “Sounds of The Forest”, which is set to be produced by Netflix. 

Kynan intended to encourage other local and young filmmakers to tell stories about their villages and cultures and utilizes their voices to help preserve their environment, exploring ways to establish a community of filmmakers to engage more young people in discussions about forest conservation and climate change. He hoped his films will inspire and motivate people to take action and make positive changes in their lives and the world around them.