By Masayu Yulien Vinanda and Cendera Rizky
Jakarta (26/04)- A film produced by Wakatobi government, WWF Indonesia, and SET Karya Film, which captures the llife of Bajau tribe in Wakatobi, “The Mirror Never Lies” received positive reaction from the Representative of the Bajautribe of Southeast Asia.
The film directed by young female director Kamila Andini is an effective media to introduce the culture of Bajau tribe to broader audiences as well as correct the negative perception which labels Bajau people as the ethnic group most destructive of the environmental, particularly the marine environment, the Vice Chairman of BajauCommunity of Southeast Asia, Sadar, said, in a press conference of The Mirror Never Lies launching held on FX Music, South Jakarta, Tuesday (26/04).
According to him, people in the island often refer to the sea nomadic tribe as perpretators of fish intoxication or bombing, The Bajau people are the group most responsible for destructive fishing practices in Wakatobi Island.
""Catching fish by using bombs and potassium is compatible with the values and cultural wisdom of Bajau who always catch fish wisely, only for their daily food needs. Specifically, we declare that the bombers are not Bajau people. Bajau has a life at sea, has a garden in the ocean and spend time at sea. If the sea is destroyed, what will we do for a living? "" he emphasized.
One of the scenes in the movie shows the Bajo culture which employs conservation value, a ritual named “Duata Sangal”. This ritual is performed during ""paceklik"" (the season of fish or other marine species scarcity). They take some kind of small, rare fish and release them back into the sea as a symbol of the fish species have been threatened and need protection and within a certain time should not be caught.

Meanwhile, the Wakatobi District Head, Ir. Hugua who also acts as producer in this movie, said, as a maritime country that 75% of its territory consists of waters, Indonesia needs to make this marine culture of Bajo tribe as one of the important assets of national culture.
“Bajo people have millions of wisdom. It has educational value, cultural values, and also a balance of nature,"" he added. Hugua expected that TheMirror Never Lies will be able to promote marine tourism sector in the Wakatobi islands as well as recognize the island as the world's marine research center.
It is not only about the Bajau tribe, but also introducing Wakatobi as the centre of the world triangular coral reefs, home of 750 species of coral and 942 species of fish that need to be preserved. I hope that through this movie, there will be moreparties show their concern and support our conservation efforts in Wakatobi, ""he said.
The development of conservation efforts in Wakatobi declared by the District Head is in line with the mission of WWF's work in this area which has been started since late 2002. Through a partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), WWF assists the Wakatobi National Park authority to improve their management plan, zoning, and implementation of park management.
“The film is expected to create public interest toward Indonesian sea and its resources, as well as the marine culture represented by the Bajau tribe in Wakatobi. Conservation is not only about ensuring the sustainability of nature and its resources, but also the life of human being, their culture, and the most important thing is securing the identity of a nation,” said WWF-Indonesia Marketing and Communication Director Devy Suradji.
Mirror Never Lies is scheduled to be screened on a national annual maritime event, Sail Wakatobi-Belitong (SWB), 2011, where Wakatobi will be the host. That International Maritime event is organized to promote investment and cultural and marine tourism in Wakatobi and Belitong.
As for other moviegoers, The Mirror Never Lies will be screened simultaneously on 5 May in a number of theaters in five major cities in Indonesia.
All profits from the production of ""The Mirror Never Lies"" will be dedicated to support conservation efforts in Wakatobi.