Rahayu Project: In conversation and screening

Gary Bencheghib is a French filmmaker and environmental activist. In late 2020, together with his two siblings, Kelly and Sam, he founded the Sungai Watch organization. The organization actively combats extreme environmental pollution in Indonesia through garbage-floating barriers and cleanup operations. In parallel, he explores ways to recycle the plastic waste they collect. Through Sungai Design and a tiny house project, he is taking his first steps into design and architecture. His most recent initiative is the Rahayu Project, which he co-founded with his partner Maria to document Indonesia’s cultural and environmental heritage and how it has significantly changed in recent years.

Maria Mutiara is a filmmaker and co-Founder of The Rahayu Project, dedicated to documenting Indonesia's cultural and environmental heritage and how it has drastically changed in recent years. She is also the Founder of Harmony Farm School, established in 2017 for children aged three to six years, with the goal of familiarizing them with nature and culture from a young age, fostering appreciation and respect. Maria believes that education and culture shape mindsets, which in turn influence our actions toward everything that surrounds us. Through her videos, she aims to remind people of the deep meaning behind every ancestral cultural aspect, whether spiritual, social, or environmental.

Maria Mutiara adalah seorang pembuat film dan salah satu pendiri The Rahayu Project, proyek yang didedikasikan untuk mendokumentasikan warisan budaya dan lingkungan Indonesia serta bagaimana hal-hal ini telah berubah drastis dalam beberapa tahun terakhir. Ia juga merupakan pendiri Harmony Farm School, yang didirikan pada tahun 2017 untuk anak-anak usia tiga hingga enam tahun, dengan tujuan untuk memperkenalkan mereka pada alam dan budaya sejak dini, menumbuhkan apresiasi dan rasa hormat terhadapnya. Maria meyakini bahwa pendidikan dan budaya membentuk pola pikir, yang pada gilirannya memengaruhi tindakan kita terhadap segala sesuatu di sekitar kita. Melalui video-videonya, ia ingin mengingatkan orang-orang tentang makna mendalam di balik setiap aspek budaya leluhur, baik yang bersifat spiritual, sosial, maupun lingkungan.