Big Damage / Bikpela Bagarap
country, year 
Australia, 2011
genre
documentary
running time
43′
directed by
David Fedele
language
Tok Pisin, English
subtitles
English
synopsis
Bikpela Bagarap (Big Damage) reveals the human face of logging in Papua New Guinea.
It is a tale of exploitation and broken promises, where local people are treated as second-rate citizens in their own country by Malaysian logging companies and corrupt politicians.
Customary landowners are forced into signing documents they don’t understand, for the promise of “development” – fresh water, health and education, but these essential services are rarely provided. Instead, their traditional hunting grounds are destroyed, waterways polluted, and their way of life ruined forever.
about the author
David Fedele is an award-winning documentary filmmaker from Australia. He entered the world of documentary filmmaking through a love of travel and exploring different cultures, having travelled extensively throughout Australasia, Europe, the Middle East, South America and Africa. Generally working alone, self-producing and self-funding his projects, David is particularly interested in exploring cultural, humanitarian and social justice issues. His films have covered such diverse topics as Sub-Saharan African migration in Morocco, electronic waste in Ghana, and illegal logging in Papua New Guinea. David’s films have been broadcast widely, and screened at international film festivals around the world, winning numerous awards. His film E-Wasteland was recently awarded “best Australian short documentary” at the Antenna International Documentary Film Festival in Sydney, Australia.
Filmography: The Land Between (2014), E-Wasteland (2012), Bikpela Bagarap (Big Damage) (2011), Png Style (2010), Reflections (2010), Caterina (2010), Reflections On A Genocide (2011), West Papuan Refugees (2011), Second Chance (2010).
www.david-fedele.com
festivals, awards (selection)
Winner “Best Newcomer – ROSCAR Award” – Wild Talk Africa Film Festival 2013, South Africa; Finalist “Best Documentary Short” – Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA) 2013,U.S.A; Winner “Audience Choice Award” – Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival 2012, Malaysia; Awarded “Special Mention” – The Village Doc Film Festival 2012, Milan, Italy; Migrant Film Festival Ljubljana, Slovenia; Aljazeera International Documentary Film Festival, Qatar.