Jungle Child (Dschungelkind) (Dschungelkind)

I want to talk about a story,

a story of a girl who grew up a time away.

It's a story of love, hate,

forgiveness, brutality and beauty for life.

It's a true story, it's my story.

The early years of my childhood

I spent with my family in Nepal.

Once in 1979, for political reasons, we had to leave,

my parents sought a new job in Indonesia.

I was eight years old when my father, in the huge forest of West Papua,

discovered a previously unknown tribe.

It was during one of his expeditions, some three days journey from Irian Jaya.

It was a people whom he knew only by legends and rumors,

and they took his life as in the stone age, the Fayu.

Sabine, come. The class is about to start.

My father wanted to learn the language of this people.

He received permission, by Fayu chief, to live among them.

The real jungle, Bo. Imagine that.

Really? What were you thinking?

That this is the discovery of my life.

And what are you supposed to be a home?

A one? An alternative? A experimental one?

If we live among them, it's like a trip to the stone age.

How safe is that your stone age?

Boko assured me that we are under his protection.

Into a language and culture that you do not quite understand.

Doris, I'm a linguist.

- I have a possibility, a language... - What is happening with you?

- What else will go out of your mouth? - Doris...

Doris!

Doris, it's not like to close a gap mapping.

This is about the elucidation of the secret of human prehistory.

Psst!

Let me do the research, please. I build a house.

And when you come, I'll getting better the Fayu language.

It will be good for us, believe me.

Believe me.

After five months, the day has finally arrived,

in which we went to our father about 100 km till the remote village of Fayu.

In the middle of the deepest jungle,

in a world where my life would change forever.

JUNGLE CHILD

- Dad! - My dear.

Hello, Princess.

- Oh, daddy, you stink! - What?

The first meeting

Are they here?

Yeah, they don't trust this modern device.

Look there. Look over there.

Sabie, Judithu e Babu...

Dorisu.

Judithu?

Yes, Fayus use names with a vowel at the end.

Christian, you are now Babu again, like when you were a little one.

This is the chief Boko.

Don't be afraid, they have never seen children with blond hair.

Rub the forehead is a greeting. It means peaceful intentions.

- Daddy. - Don't be afraid.

All right.

Okay?

We go together?

Quiet, Timmy. It won't take long.

Why can't they help us to carry the bags?

They are hunters, not carriers.

- What stinks so much here? - Hold your breath, go on.

Come on, it's almost over.

This is Klaus's family.

Don't be afraid.

Bine!

Are you ready?

There it is!

We are in the jungle, jungle, jungle, jungle, jungle...

Get some rest.

Look at the stove!

Calm, Timmy. This is your new home.

I sleep here.

And Bo, where do you stand?

Just look at me, I'm Tarzan.

- What is this? - This is a scraper.

I know some scrapers from emergency rooms.

- It's a knife that wasn't made for this purpose. - Always knows what else.

Doris, we are safe here. This is a neutral place.

Neutral?

Yeah, as long as we don't interfere, we're out. This is Dea.

About what should we not interfere? I always mix, Klaus.

- We are not here in a tribal dispute, isn't it? - Not directly.

The Fayus were a large tribe...

and are now divided into two hostile groups, who fight one another.

- As I said, here we are safe. Here... - Here is the Swiss I know.

- Listen here. What is this? - Oh, sandpaper.

Exact. The food is not ready yet. We were invited by Fayus.

What makes a good guest? We bury it.

- So, if you go to the bathroom, grab a shovel. - And where's the bathroom?

And now some rules of the jungle.

First: Never go alone to the jungle.

All you eat, show me first. Drink only boiled water.

Never leave home without shoes.

Don't swim in the river far away.

Since the evening, all remain at home.

We are friendly with everyone. We do not mix

and now, again, the most important: Never go alone in the jungle!

- Did you understand? - And how long we stay here?

- Until I know the language well. - Two, three years?

- It may take 20 years. - What?

20 years? Never.

The Origin of Fayus

Owaka Fu. Fu.

- Fu? - Fu.

- Fu. - Fu.

Fu.

Fu. Fu.

- Fu. - Fu.

- Fu. - Fu.

Everything is 'Fu'?

The meaning of a word varies according to the manner of speaking.

The canoe: 'Fu'. The tree trunk: 'Fu'.

- And what is the word for water? - Water is 'Di'.

Di, di, di, di, di...

Di?

Di?

Di?

Children here don't need to go to the school.

By the way, it's a different way.

Why do we really learn English?

No one here speaks English.

So that you can to communicate with everyone.

I want to stay here. And I would like to learn Fayu!

Oh, Bine, you'll learn by yourself, playing with the children.

- They don't know how to play anything. - And they have no toys.

You cannot do it anyway.

- Gool! - Yeah!

- Bine, where are your flip-flops? - Ask for.

- Can we go swimming? - Okay.

Di? Di? Di?

The Curse

- What is she feeling? - She is in pain.

But something seems to be wrong.

- And why the women sing? - I don't know!

Call your dad!

Dad!

Dad!

Dad!

Di! Di! Help! Di! Di!

Help me. Di. Di.

Di. Di.

Help me. Di. Di. Di.

Di. Di.

Dad!

Help!

Di. Di.

Mom!

No help.

She died before my eyes,

they all just stood and watched.

She was sick.

Fayus don't believe that a person could die naturally.

It's a sign or a curse.

If someone dies from a disease,

then it's a curse and they don't try to help,

because you can't heal a curse. - This is a complete nonsense.

- You know we could help her. - With drugs, what do I know?

The woman goes to heaven like us?

Yeah, sure, Bine.

- And she was cursed? - No.

- She passed out by pain. - For Fayus she was cursed.

And not even mom could stop it.

It pass soon, ok?

Ok.

Beep, beep, beep, we all love each other

Everyone can eat as much as their peers

We took it too, for sure: but not on our side

We ate it all, then don't forget to brush your teeth

Beep, beep, beep, we all love each other

I'm sorry.

What he sings?

"My wife, you're gone and I'm alone."

"I'm alone and it's night and I don't have a wife."

I understand that.

Let's put the kids to bed.

Daddy? We can also be cursed?

No, Bine. We are not among them.

We have no revenge. We don't break any rules.

We are safe.

The chief Boko promised us his protection

and a promise here is taken seriously.

And what if we were also as the Fayus are?

And we did everything as they?

We'll never be like Fayus.

We'll always be in our own world, with our own rules.

And here the curses have no place, got it?

My Friend Faisa

Death Spiral

Mom! Mom! A Fayu is hurt. You have to help.

- You can't do anything else. - I can see at least.

Doris. The Fayus don't know any natural way to death.

Therefore, they need to kill someone for a funeral.

If he dies, another must pay for it, ok?

- Then I'll make sure he survived. - Doris!

We are guest here!

You cannot have all the Fayu laws in your mind.