“Before You Eat” Documentary Screening at SEA Junction
September 18 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Event Background
On Friday, 18th September 2026, SEA Junction, in collaboration with SBMI and Greenpeace Southeast Asia will host a screening and documentary discussion of “Before We Eat” a flagship documentary produced by Greenpeace SEA at SEA Junction from 17.30 – 19.00.
The global fishing industry is notorious for being a dirty, dangerous, and difficult sector. Civil society organizations (CSOs) have reported human rights abuses aboard fishing vessels prevalent in distant-water fishing and its subsequent supply chain, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Human rights abuses that amount to slavery at sea are also commonly intertwined with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, contributing to the overall environmental destruction of the ocean ecosystem.
“Before You Eat” Director’s Cut movie is a 47-minute documentary film capturing the realities onboard based on the story of 20 Indonesian ex-migrant fishers. Aboard Taiwanese fishing vessels, these fishers retell the story of how their dreams of providing better sustenance for their families turned into nightmares. As the director, Kasan Kurdi, mentioned, this movie was born out of irony, where the people who feed and bring fish to the consumer’s table are unable to provide for their own well-being. The movie calls for greater transparency and ethical practices from all stakeholders to ensure a sustainable and humane seafood industry.
The movie screening will also be accompanied by a reflective dialogue. In 2019, Thailand ratified the ILO Convention on Work in Fishing (C-188) as a response to market pressure from the European Union. In Indonesia, domestic labor rights pressures compelled the government to act, becoming the second country in Southeast Asia to ratify C-188. However, questions remain about how this progress has brought significant change to the sector in light of the current geopolitical shifts, changing global regulatory landscapes, and political dynamics in Asia-Pacific. The panelists include:
- Sulistri, Network of Fisheries Labour Union of Indonesia
- Patima Tungpuchakul, Labour Protection Network Foundation, Thailand
- Ben Harkins, International Labour Organization Asia Pacific
This event facilitates co-learning and knowledge sharing on the lived experiences of fishers and the current policy landscape to close implementation gaps. By bringing voices from different sectors, the event strove to imagine a different form of governance in the fisheries sector where sustainability and human rights hold primacy.
Film Information
Director: Kasan Kurdi
Producer: The Union of Indonesian Migrant Workers (SBMI)
Short Bio of the Director
Kasan Kurdi was born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and embraces photography as a medium of expression. In 2000, he received the Special Prize from the Photographic Society of Pakistan at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific “Living in Harmony” Photo Contest in Japan. Since 2004, he has worked as a freelance videographer, contributing to the production of various news programs and documentaries for international TV networks. Other than “Before You Eat”, Kasan also took part in the production of environmental documentaries, such as “Harun Namanya” as the director and “Pulau Plastik” as the director of photography.
Short Bios of Panelists
Sulistri is the General Secretary of the Network of Fisheries Labor Union of Indonesia (Jejaring SB Perikanan Indonesia) and the Trade Union Federation for Food, Beverage, Tourism, Restaurant, Hotel, and Tobacco (FSB-Kamiparho). A seasoned labor activist, Sulistri was the first woman to represent Indonesian workers at the 100th International Labor Conference, delivering a speech on domestic workers’ protection that led to the establishment of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention (C-189).
Patima Tungpuchakul is a migrant rights activist and the Co-Founder of the Labour Protection Network (LPN) Thailand. Having more than two decades of experience as an activist, she has emerged as the key person behind attempts to end slavery at sea in Southeast Asia and deeply involved with the concerted effort to provide adequate protection for all migrant workers throughout the 10 nations that make up the region.
Since arriving in Southeast Asia nearly 20 years ago, Benjamin Harkins has worked to support greater social justice for migrants, refugees and other marginalized people within the region. He is currently the Technical Specialist for the ILO Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia programme, promoting safe migration and decent work in the fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture sectors.
Watch the Trailer Here >>> BEFORE YOU EAT Director’s Cut Official Trailer
For more information, please email: info@seajunction.org or phone/wa: +66970024140
NB: The event is free, donations are welcome to support SEA Junction activities.
Organizers
Greenpeace is a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace has four offices in Southeast Asia, namely in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. One of the global works that Greenpeace Southeast Asia is leading since 2022 is Beyond Seafood Campaign, with a mission to end modern slavery at sea and environmental devastation in industrial fishing.
Union of Indonesian Migrant Workers or SBMI was founded on February 25, 2003, under the name Federation of Indonesian Migrant Worker Organizations (FOBMI). Since then, it emerged as a response to the myriad problems and poor conditions faced by Indonesian migrant workers. The SBMI was subsequently recognized as a labor union in 2006. In accordance with the mandate of the law, which says seafarers and fishing vessel crew members are recognized as migrant workers, SBMI consequently also advocates for the rights of crew members subjected to slavery on foreign fishing vessels.
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions, from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 407-8 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium), SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. More information at http://seajunction.org/.
The Network of Fisheries Labor Union of Indonesia (Jejaring Serikat Buruh Perikanan Indonesia) is a network of 6 labor union confederations and 3 labor unions, formed in 2022, focusing on political advocacy for protections for workers in the Indonesian fisheries sector.
