A Tribute to Dona Dijé

If Not Us Then Who? Film 7: (4:10) 2019
A Tribute to Dona Dijé a leader of the Free Babassu movement

This is one of seven short films about sustainable living in the forests of Indonesia, Costa Rica and Brazil. Taken together, they tell a story of oppression, resistance, accomplishments, and confidence for the future.

Please download the teacher's guide for maps, background information, suggested subjects, questions and activities.

Synopsis
"Do not fall, arise."

Dona Dijé was an organizer in the babassu movement. In this interview she reflects on the central place of the babassu industry in the protection of women, culture, the forests, and the Amazon as a whole.

This is one of seven short films about sustainable living in the forests of Indonesia, Costa Rica and Brazil. Taken together, they tell a story of oppression, resistance, accomplishments, and confidence for the future.

Download the Teacher's Guide

00:00:07.140 --> 00:00:13.560
I live in a community in the state
of Maranhão, in the countryside.

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To me, it means part of my story.

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It should be free, wherever
there is babassu it should be free.

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Because we understand that
babassu is a work of nature.

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Nobody planted, no one watered
yet nature gives to us for free.

00:00:52.040 --> 00:01:03.100
The coconut for me means a currency
which we exchange so we can buy

00:01:03.220 --> 00:01:08.640
our things, from food to clothes, shoes,
everything.

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We roast the coconut to make oil.

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We sell to get money.

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And the oil once it's done serves for
both food, cooking and cosmetics.

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Now they are trapped on land
which is privately owned

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and the land owner, the farmer has a fence,
a gate and a lock barring my entry.

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We don’t want to fill the
outskirts of the cities.

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We don't want to change
our way of life.

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This is the law of survival.

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I have to fight to live.
I have to fight to eat.

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The women formed their own movement founding the
‘Free Babassu Law’ in seven Brazilian states.
The law gives landless coconut gatherers rights
to collect from all palm groves.

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They continue to protect the lives
and livelihoods of thousands of women
who work in the countryside

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The free coconut is where I can come
and go without anyone to stop me.

00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:52.100
I can leave my house, go into the land
which is close to my community.

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If there is babassu, I can come and pick it up
and another woman can come and pick it up.

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Any woman can come and pick it up
without hindrance.

00:03:02.420 --> 00:03:05.420
This is free access.

00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:15.380
They would enter the communities
and ask 'Where's the boss?’

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And we'd say, "There is no 'boss'...
I'm the boss."

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I have a hope that if we can preserve what we have left today then our children will have a bright future.

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It's a community of people
who work in the fields breaking coconuts

00:03:46.160 --> 00:03:51.160
fishing, dancing, leaping,
who play and are doing a lot of things.

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And that preserves our ancestors,
which we believe is a force

00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:01.440
that helps us
and holds our hands to say:

00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:04.640
"Do not fall. Arise. “

Citation

Main credits

Redman, Paul (film director)
Redman, Paul (director of photography)
Redman, Paul (editor of moving image work)
Lewis, Tim (film producer)
Dij©�, Dona (on-screen participant)

Distributor credits

Producer: Tim Lewis

Director: Paul Redman