Borneo calling
An indie filmmaker of Dusun descent advocates for more cultural representation of East Malaysians in the national narrative, writes Oon Yeoh
INDIE filmmaker Nadira Ilana’s documentary, The Silent Riot, was the first East Malaysian film to receive the Justin Louis Grant from Freedom Film Festival. Her short film, Lastik, a playful allegory for North Borneo’s independence, depicted Sabah’s founding fathers as children embroiled in a turf war with two other British children who have also taken their tin cans and rubber bands.
YOU’VE BEEN DESCRIBED AS A WRITER, FILMMAKER AND ACTIVIST. WHICH DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST? I’m a filmmaker by profession but I’ve always been a writer, whether it’s poetry or short stories. I’ve also written the scripts for all my films. As for being called an activist, it’s because there are issues that I’m very passionate about, which is probably why people think that of me.
DO YOU PREFER TO MAKE DOCUMENTARIES OR FICTIONAL FILMS?
I don’t have a preference because for me, the story determines the form. It’s been easier to make documentaries in Sabah because you can work with a smaller team and it also provides a great foundation for learning about my own history and heritage. That’s what in turn, feeds my fictional work.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR FILM IDEAS FROM?
Usually from talking to people. The Silent
Riot came from asking my father about what it was like growing up in Kota Kinabalu. Learning about the Sabah riots of 1986 became a gateway for me to learn about our position in Malaysia and how the country was formed.
As for Lastik, I was given the opportunity to make the short film for Astro for Malaysia Day. I’d never seen images of Sabah or Sarawak’s independence in the media before and I wanted to make this accessible to children.
Even till today, during Malaysia Day, I still don’t see images of Tun Fuad Stephens or Steven Kalong Ningkan and these are our founding fathers just as much as Tunku Abdul Rahman. Without Sabah and Sarawak, there would have been no Malaysia.
DO YOU FOCUS ONLY ON SABAHRELATED STORIES?
I don’t want to be limited to Sabah stories only but there are many Sabah stories I want to tell because there’s still a lack of East Malaysian content in the media.
I don’t think that the average person in Peninsular Malaysia knows what a KadazanDusun person looks like unless we’re wearing our traditional dress.
We’re a large group in Sabah. Sometimes I think people find my dedication to telling Borneo-based stories irritating but I consider it a privilege because not everyone is able to do it.
When I first moved to KL, people would ask me, “Why are you always talking about Sabah? Why not talk about Malaysian stories?” Well, Sabah is a Malaysian story. It’s the Malaysia I grew up in.
HOW DOES AN INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER MAKE MONEY?
Independent filmmakers usually freelance or have day jobs while making their indie films on the side. Independent films will usually do the international festival circuit before having a local theatrical release.
What happens to the films afterwards depends on the film producer. They can be sold to airlines or be distributed to different regions. You’re lucky if you break even but you do it for passion.
AS A FILMMAKER DO YOU WRITE THE SCRIPT, DIRECT AND PRODUCE OR DO YOU FOCUS ON ONE SPECIFIC TASK? I’ve always researched, written, produced and directed my own work out of necessity although I now have my producers in Australia, the Philippines and Singapore whom I’m working closely together with on a couple of projects.
I think because my area of interests are so specific, I tend to be more hands-on but in the future, I’d love to direct something that I didn’t write, or to produce for other filmmakers.
ARE YOU NOW BASED IN KL?
Yes, but I’m still working my way towards moving back to Sabah to be closer to my stories. Like many East Malaysians based in KL, it’s a balancing act because my industry is still primarily located in Kuala Lumpur.
BESIDES MAKING FILMS, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY IN OTHER WAYS?
I organised film-related events such as Working Title Film Drinks, which was a monthly gathering for independent filmmakers in KL. It was started with some friends in 2013 with the purpose of forming a network of filmmakers and I’d say that we’re a pretty lively community although we’re mostly active online these days.
A couple of years ago, I started being called to judge for short film competitions like Pesta Filem Kita in 2016, Petron Vision 2018 and I’ve been a judge for the BMW Shorties for three years now. I was recently invited to be an industry advisor to FINAS.
YOU ONLY FOUND OUT THAT YOU WERE ETHNICALLY DUSUN IN YOUR TEENAGE YEARS. HOW COME?
I come from a mixed heritage although I’m mostly Dusun. I grew up in Kota Kinabalu and went to a Chinese primary school so I wasn’t really exposed to my own culture.
Even though my maternal grandfather was a translator for the Cobbold Commission, my grandparents didn’t see the need for the family to learn to speak the Dusun language.
My grandparents were probably made to think that in order to be part of Malaysia and modern, that meant going further away from our roots.
I want young people who watch my films to understand the value and richness of my Dusun heritage, but also indigenous peoples as a whole. If my late grandfather were alive now, I think he’d have been proud to speak to us in Dusun.
WHAT ARE YOUR PROJECTS FOR 2019?
I’m currently developing two projects. The primary one is Wilderness, which is my debut feature film set in Kota Kinabalu inspired by the Tarob, who swallows the sun and causes eclipses.
The other is a creative documentary, The
Salt Trails of Ulu Papar, which is a cinematic exploration of the Dusun communities that live along the periphery of the Crocker Range Salt Trail.
Both projects touch on what it means to be urban and indigenous.
WHAT WAS THE MOST RECENT MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
I just watched Quek Shio Chuan’s Guang in the cinema and loved it! I think he’s a very talented Malaysian filmmaker who draws from his own life experiences to tell stories.
DO YOU WATCH HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES?
Not really. I prefer to watch Asian films but since Hollywood recently discovered Henry Golding, I can now watch a Sarawakian in a Hollywood film, which is pretty cathartic! I’m also looking forward to James Wan’s
Aquaman since he was born in Kuching. Why not? I prefer DC to Marvel anyway.
Sometimes I think people find my dedication to telling
Borneo-based stories irritating but I consider it a privilege because not everyone is able to do it.
Nadira Ilana