In Cambodia’s Areng Valley, the indigenous Chorng community is fighting to keep their ancestral land from being absorbed into the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project. Conservation enforcement – led by the Ministry of Environment and conservation group Wildlife Alliance – has resulted in arrests, restricted access to farmland, and growing fear among villagers who depend on the land to survive. 

Despite promises of reform, indigenous peoples still face legal threats and economic hardship while the project generates carbon credits for international buyers. This documentary explores the human cost of the carbon market and the struggle between protecting forests and respecting indigenous rights.