In a historic moment for community-led cultural preservation, ECCO Foundation, in close partnership with the local government of Desa Genggelang and Aldeas Scholas Films, celebrated the world premiere of the cinematic film Kesindungan. The premiere took place at the Gangga Waterfall eco-tourism area in North Lombok, marking a milestone in a long-term development journey.

This project represents the fruit of ECCO Foundation’s continuous community development work in Genggelang Village since 2021, which originally began with rebuilding sustainable eco-tourism infrastructure following the devastating Lombok earthquakes.

From Lombok to the World: A Project Produced by Martin Scorsese

The documentary short is part of the prestigious Aldeas New Story global documentary series. Initiated by Aldeas Scholas Films under the protective canopy of Scholas Occurrentes (The Pontifical Foundation of Pope Francis), the overarching global project is executive produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

The documentary aims to capture the deep cultural diversity, authentic daily life, and rich indigenous wisdom of local communities. Out of countless locations worldwide, Genggelang Village in Indonesia was chosen alongside Sicily (Italy) and Gambia as the only three global sites featured in this exclusive international project.

 GLOBAL SELECTION SITES: ALDEAS NEW STORY

│  LOMBOK, INDONESIA │  SICILY, ITALY   │   THE GAMBIA    │

│ (Desa Genggelang / ECCO)│ (Mediterranean)   │  (West Africa)   │

"Kesindungan": Empowering the Community Through Storytelling

What makes Kesindungan truly groundbreaking is its production model: the film was entirely written, shot, and created by the residents of Genggelang Village themselves. Rather than being passive subjects of a foreign lens, local citizens were trained as filmmakers, transforming the project into a powerful symbol of community empowerment through the art of storytelling.

By highlighting the community's connection to their land and ancestral heritage, the film firmly establishes Genggelang Village and ECCO Foundation as international leaders in sustainable tourism and cultural heritage preservation.