Strange Birds in Paradise

In 1999, Australian Charlie Hill-Smith traveled as a tourist to West Papua (Irian Jaya), the Indonesian province on the island of Papua. He was deeply affected by the enchanting natural environment and the friendly locals. But when, after returning home, he started to look deeper into the country's culture, he realized that he had actually been in an undeclared war zone. In Melbourne, he got to know a community of musicians who were on the run from the Indonesian army and had fled from West Papua to Australia. Through their stories, he gained insight into the true history of the country. is a journey into just some of the more than 250 West Papuan cultures. Intercut with Hill-Smith's travelogue and short animations, the interviews paint a picture not only of a country with a rich musical tradition and breathtaking nature, but also of a country weighed down by Indonesian military oppression. A large number of retired army generals have substantial economic interests in West Papua, and the army uses extreme violence to keep the lid on the West Papuan population's independence movement. In 2006, Hill-Smith decided to return to West Papua, this time equipped with a professional camera and all the knowledge he had gained about the country's history.