By DayakDaily Team
KUCHIING, Sept 24: The Kelabit community of Bario, Sarawak, has reason to celebrate as filmmaker, director, and writer Sarah Lois Dorai takes their voices to the global stage.
Her latest short documentary, Songs of the Highlands, will premiere at the 45th annual Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF45) this October, where it will compete for Best Short Film.
Songs of the Highlands highlights the endangered Kelabit language, once passed down entirely through melodies and storytelling. Today, with the voices of elders fading, Sarah turns to film to preserve what time may soon erase.
“Songs of The Highlands celebrates the power of song as a living archive and the role of young people as cultural carriers and our place in the collective responsibility within our community. It is a call to action to protect what is left, to honour those who came before us, and to ensure that future generations have access to the stories that shape who we are and who we will become.
“This film sets out to honour our heritage, the voices of our elders, and the enduring power of storytelling as a force for identity, connection, and continuity,” she said in her director’s statement posted on her social media on Sunday (Sept 20).
Commissioned by Sound of Life, a storytelling platform founded by international audio innovators KEF, the film is one of only three global projects exploring disappearing sounds.
Yet for Sarah, herself Kelabit, it was far more than a professional assignment.
In an interview with SAYS recently, she explained that her late aunt Lucy Bulan’s words, urging the younger generation to gain knowledge and then return to uplift their community, guided her approach.
Every decision in the film’s storytelling, she shared, was made with that responsibility in mind.
Recognition at HIFF45 marks both a milestone and a quiet rebuttal to skeptics who questioned whether documentaries from Sarawak could resonate internationally.
Sarah revealed to SAYS that a local TV pitch for a similar project was once dismissed as lacking wider appeal.
“However, the inclusion of our work in festivals of this calibre proves otherwise, and I remain hopeful for the future,” she shared.
Producing the documentary in Bario was not without its challenges. With access limited to 14-seater Twin Otter planes, the crew had to stagger their arrivals, and bad weather even prevented a flight carrying musician Alena Murang and key crew members from landing.
This forced a complete reshuffling of the schedule, but the team pressed on, united by their belief in the importance of the work.
“Hiccups are inevitable. But the team was fantastic, and we pushed through because we knew what we were doing was important,” she said.
Sarah was intentional in crafting not just the story but also in choosing her collaborators. She sought out female director of photography Sandra Cheah to frame the film’s visual soul.
“Women bring an intuitive creativity and sensitivity. Sandra’s eye was key to the film looking as beautiful as it does,” she explained.
During filming, a gathering of elders in Bario brought old Kelabit songs and stories back to life. Watching from behind the monitor, Sarah reflected on how far her generation had drifted from those traditions.
“Through film, we can’t live it, but we can remember. And remembering is powerful,” she emphasised.
Earlier this year, Songs of the Highlands won Best Documentary at the Kalimantan International Indigenous Film Festival, further strengthening its impact.
Looking forward, Sarah hopes to develop a six-part global documentary series spotlighting cultural revivalists from indigenous Austronesian communities, connecting shared heritage across borders. She also envisions curating a mini exhibition of Kelabit songs and stories if resources allow.
After screenings in Kuching, Miri, and Palangkaraya, Songs of the Highlands will next make its Kuala Lumpur premiere at the SeaShorts Film Festival from Oct 16 to 19, 2025. — DayakDaily
