“How far removed are we, in our generation, from this kind of reality?” mused filmmaker and publisher Sarah Lois Dorai.
“We don’t necessarily have to live like this anymore, but we must remember where we come from. That sense of community, togetherness, and sharing of music and stories is what makes us who we are.”
Sarah, of Kelabit-Indian heritage, captures this beautifully in “Songs of the Highlands”, a short documentary that puts the endangered Kelabit language centre stage.
Commissioned by Sound of Life, a storytelling platform, the film is part of a global series on disappearing sounds.
True to Kelabit culture, Sarah employs the medium of music and songs in the short documentary to preserve both language and lifestyle.
“Music connects to people’s souls in a way that’s almost unexplainable. When language is carried through song, it sparks curiosity – and hopefully that leads people to explore the culture and keep it alive,” said the KL-based director.
The eight-minute film will premiere at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF45) on Oct 18 under the indigenous shorts category, where it’s also competing for best short film.
“It’s very validating to know your work is held at such a stature. The little me who dreamed would’ve never thought this possible!” said Sarah, who lectures part-time in film production.
“Entering film festivals means reaching audiences who wouldn’t normally come knocking. Sharing your culture makes others reflect on their own, and that can inspire them to start their own journey,” she added.
Shot over three days in Bario, the documentary has already won best documentary at the Kalimantan International Indigenous Film Festival.
It follows well-known songwriter, musician and sape player Alena Murang, also of mixed-Kelabit heritage, as she explores who the Kelabits are, why their songs exist, how she learns them, and how they are passed to the next generation.
Through elders’ voices, memory, and technology, music becomes both archive and lifeline, breathing life into ancestral voices on the brink of extinction.
“One of the elders we interviewed said she hopes that when people see what we do, whether through film or song, more young people will want to engage with their culture, especially Kelabit culture, because there’s so few of us left. It’s a call to return to our roots,” Sarah recalled.
And in many ways, it was also a personal return to roots for Sarah, who grew up in KL but was raised Kelabit. She flew to Bario a few days ahead of her crew to prepare for the shoot, and while there, spent time with her grandaunt.
“I remember just sitting next to her at the fireplace and she was talking about normal things. I felt such a sense of loss,” she shared.
“My own grandmother lived with us in KL most of my life. I wondered, if I was this age now with her, what stories would she have shared with me?”
To that end, Sarah’s hope is that “Songs of the Highlands” – which screens next in KL at the SeaShorts Film Festival (Oct 16–19) after stops in Kuching, Miri, and Palangkaraya – will encourage young Malaysians to reflect on their own heritage.
“Ask, ‘Where do I come from? What cultures did my parents practise? What’s going missing and how can I connect with that?’ Find ways to express it in whatever way connects to you,” Sarah concluded.
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