Co-produced by Iban director Misha Minut Panggau, 50, and her husband Ray Lee, the film – about a group of orphans who are captured by a mad scientist for an experiment – is the first to feature Sarawak’s Iban headhunters.
It is also the first movie to be produced by a Dayak filmmaker.
“Belaban Hidup” was completed in 2019 and subsequently bagged 20 awards from 10 countries, including for Best Horror Film at the 2021 World Film Carnival in Singapore, and Best Film and Best Horror Film at the International Symbolic Art Film Festival in St Petersburg, Russia.
“This recognition means a lot to me. There was always criticism, but I believed as long as I had willingness and guidance, everything would go according to plan,” says Misha, who comes from a longhouse in Limbang, Sarawak.
She says due to gender stereotyping and her background, people often question her ability. But her love for filmmaking keeps her passionate and unwavering in achieving her goals.
“There are only a few films that touch on Sarawak’s culture and communities, such as ‘Cinta Gadis Rimba’ (1958), ‘Sleeping Dictionary’ (2003), ‘Kanang Anak Langkau’ (2017) and ‘Peransang Rentap’ (2017),” says Misha.
“I thought, why not tap into the market and promote Sarawak and Malaysia to foreign filmmakers at the same time?”
Financial constraints
While she loves being creative, securing funding from corporations can be difficult for this relatively new filmmaker.
“Some of them say I’m not a big name in the industry, and some think that the market for ethnic films is small and wouldn’t be able to compete.
“I hope the recognition I received will change this perception and send a clear message that Borneo film practitioners are not to be looked down on,” Misha says.
Co-director Lee says Dayak producers are not well represented in the industry because few believe that a film in a minority language can deliver good returns.
“But in this era, many Malaysians are watching Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Mayan, Thai, Turkish and Latin movies on Netflix, so why not an Iban-language movie?” Lee says.
“The world is watching and giving us tremendous support and awards. If we can create this awareness and change perceptions, we could generate job opportunities for Malaysians.”