A small fishing village called Lamalera on the Island Lembata in far Indonesia. It belongs to one of the few communities in the world where it is allowed to hunt the sperm whales. The technique of these hunters hasn’t changed over the last hundred years. They approach the whales on hand-made boats and bravely attack huge sperm whales with bamboo harpoons in order to fight to the death.
While waiting for their big day there is plenty of work in the bay. Production of new harpoons, bamboo sails and caulking boats is never ending; they always have to be ready for a big hunt.
A local shaman, who is one of the most respected men in the village, gives blessing for a successful hunt. Only after the ceremony do the fishermen dare to sail to the open sea.
Sperm whales usually stay in groups. A male is a guard and the female looks after their playful young one. Their oil gives them a chance to dive into unbelievable more than one kilometer depths and they are able to stay there for more than 40 minutes. Then they have to surface to breathe. Their loud breaths and a small cloud of fog usually get noticed by patrolling fishermen.
The quiet of the bay is finally interrupted be an outcry baleo baleo – sperm whale on the horizon!!
All the hunters are immediately ready and setting to open sea … often without water … without food … only a bag of tobacco and a palm leaf can never be missing.
Nobody knows if the hunt is going to be a success and how long it is going to take. Sometimes the sperm whale breaks the boat, sometimes it pulls the boat with the crew far to open sea and the exhausted hunters don’t have any other option than to cut the harpoon rope in order to have a chance of making it back home. Director: Steve L. Lichtag
Script: Steve L. Lichtag
CZ, 2010, 52 min, HD