Made in Sabah: Malaysia’s indigenous language film Sinakagon to make Netflix debut
The ‘fully Sabah’ production, directed by Timothy Stephen and shot entirely in the Dusun dialect, is based on the legend of the goddess Huminodun
An award-winning indigenous language film made in Sabah state on Malaysian Borneo will air on Netflix next month, making it the most successful effort yet for the state’s burgeoning film industry as Sabah attempts to grow its appeal beyond its allure as a tourist destination.
Sinakagon, directed by Timothy Stephen, is the first film from Sabah to secure a spot on the streaming platform. Shot entirely in the Dusun dialect – spoken by fewer than 800,000 people – the film is based on the legend of Huminodun, a goddess revered by the state’s Kadazandusun ethnic group.
Stephen, whose production company Stephen Q Films was established only last year, expressed his astonishment at the achievement.
“When Netflix approved our film, we were just over the moon,” he told This Week in Asia. “We were so surprised that we managed to meet the high quality and technical standards, because we shot on such a small budget with gear that is not high end.”
With a modest budget of just 200,000 ringgit (US$53,480) and a crew of 30, Sinakagon – meaning “progeny” in Dusun – was the company’s first feature film, jointly produced with Bamboo Sound Studio.
The film was a top-five finalist out of 100 films at this year’s Prisma Rome Independent Film Awards and made the official selection at the Barcelona Indie Filmmakers Fest. Stephen also won an award for best first-time director for a feature film in Milan.
