Handpainted animation by Allana
Contemplation...ancient forest/clearfell...to who does this earth belong? Since Australia's colonization all but 8% of its ancient forests are left, do we plunder the earth until it's all gone? This choice is ours!


I, allana volante beltran, have drawn upon a humanistic, subjective stance concerning the issues facing the quickly disappearing wild Tasmanian landscape. I hope to highlight the emotive reasons we as a group sharing the common collective concern, of the welfare of this earth and all creatures in existence with it.

I feel strongly connected to this wild earth, an untouched natural environment. With a childlike perspective, I enjoy witnessing an unspoken language of the earth, swaying trees, the call songs of birds... the teachings of nature's great mysteries. This secret language, something perceived through a physical experience, looking, smelling, touching, tasting, in this place I connect through my heart. This understanding is different to the 'truths' taught to me through systems of the dominant authorities, these systems relate to situations of time and place, to where I have not been.

Within the wild rainforest land I have watched death to hold great value as a part of life's cycle. Any person may sit within a natural and untouched environment and observe the old tree shed its dead leaves; falling to the ground they become reawakened as the new homes of numerous insects and animals. Microscopic life systems over time reveal their workings to us, we are able to watch as brown reinvents itself to be vibrant greens, blues, reds, in every imaginable spectrum.

Within a rainforest I can see that my body is the same as any tree, fern, or roaming creature, as we commonly all started as a seed, spontaneously created by another life form, and then, took our place in the great cycle of life.

Sitting within the wilderness we observe that all life gives and receives equally, playing its part of a co-existent oneness. The absence of an all powerful, dominating force within an ecosystem helps us to understand that balance is crucial within a sustainable and well functioning system. I believe if that balance was to be mimicked within our society, we would not find ourselves sitting watching issues concerning the mass destruction of our natural world.

For some time now I have been contemplating how it has come to be that humanity has come to find itself in this current ecological predicament. For a known 40 thousand years a race of people did live here on this land, Australia, where you and I are today -- learning from the unspoiled natural environment around them.

Now I can only dream and imagine what this life was like, but I feel that this life was somehow less stressful and complicated than the one modern day society lives out today. I believe that because the floor on which you sat was the earth and the sky as your roof. You were with a constant connection with the forces of the weather and seasonal changes. There was not an option to be locked out of the elements within hearted or air-conditioned, controlled climates. From these factors I believe the world around you kept you humble and respectful of your home.

As indigenous people lived with the earth without interference, maintaining equilibrium like all other species on this earth. I respect their way of life as a means of sustainable, happy and healthy living. I feel they got it right!

I witness that since the colonization of 'Australia' a mere 200 years ago, there is already devastating environmental disasters. Major famine, disease, depression and destruction engulf the lives of some and others live a life of over-abundance and privilege. Due to these factors I believe western society got it wrong.

Whilst living in the Weld Valley Camp Blockade, I decided that I wanted to create a short hand painted animated film that took viewers on a journey witnessing the piece-by-piece clear felling of a forest scene and the creation of the western world within Australia. I see this film as an experiential viewing narrative that demonstrates our current consumer reality -- that which has eaten up too much of our natural habitat for this earth to cope with.

I hope to present within this film an abstract and reflective step by step process of what choices have been made within western systems of power to bring us to our current and frightening dilemma.

With the last remaining old-growth forests under threat in Tasmania, what choices will be made and whom will we let make them for the future of this earth and coming generations.

The Weld Valley
wild ancient forests & pristine rivers

For more information or to make a donation to the campaign to protect these precious areas visit the Huon Valley Environment Centre's website www.huon.org