BY ISABELLA INCHANG
Ray Lee, the director of “Belaban Hidup”, an Iban zombie film shot in Sarawak, hopes Hollywood directors or those from other countries will work with him on new film projects in the United States and Europe.
Lee, who is still excited after being informed by email that the film will be screened at the prestigious World Asian Film Festival in Los Angeles for three days, hopes that the audience who watch the film will love it.
“We also hope producers from foreign countries will appoint talented Sarawakians to produce films in America or European countries.
“This is because those who watch ‘Belaban Hidup’ there are all powerful people in the film industry as well as well-known people, dignitaries and artists who live in Los Angeles.
“We sent the ‘Belaban Hidup’ video last week. They agreed to interview us via video call after the screening,” he said.
Lee disclosed that film would be screened at the prestigious film festival from May 21 to 23.
“The talents of Sarawak youth are being seen by the world. The festival only selects high quality films with interesting storylines,” he explained.
The World Asian Film Festival has also screened famous films such as ‘Crazy Rich Asian’
and the ‘Upin dan Ipin’ cartoons from Malaysia.
“Belaban Hidup” has received an award from an indie film festival in Singapore. It was also announced as the winner in the Best Fiction Film and Best Horror Film categories at the International Symbolic Art Film Festival in St. Louis. Petersburg, Russia, on March 27.
“Belaban Hidup” was originally a short film that was later converted into a full film. The film, produced by Hornbill Films Sdn Bhd and Harry Aziz Entertainment, also proves that Sarawak’s unique culture is attractive to an international audience.
Some art industry lovers were surprised to learn that the film was from Malaysia.
The film tells the story of an illegal biological experiment by a group of foreign terrorists which resulted in a major catastrophe when the population on the island of Borneo was threatened by a virus -style zombie phenomenon. The situation became epidemic after the virus spread rapidly. The initiator of the experiment, Dr George, from Russia and his group had moved their operations from Comoros Island to Borneo Island.
A group of orphans and natives were deceived by Dr George who experimented on them. However, after learning that they would be killed, they tried to flee into the jungle to seek protection from the Iban tribes living in the interior.
Unfortunately, their arrival caused suspicion when the Ibans in the forest also became victims of the undead’s attacks.
Among the actors of “Belaban Hidup” are Pekin Ibrahim, Altimet, Pablo Amirul, Anna Melissa, Cassidy Panggau and Katrina Gray.
