MALAYSIANSKINI | A mesmerising Dusun ballad in a film that skilfully intertwines ancient folklore with modern-day narratives, merging stunning views of northern Borneo and lilting traditional acoustics to gently immerse viewers into the mysterious world of Sabahan culture.

This is the setting of an upcoming new Malaysian film and a part of Kota Kinabalu filmmaker Nadira Ilana’s ever-growing love letter to her home state.

Although markedly different in tone, the film shares the same motivations as her critically acclaimed debut film “The Silent Riot” (2012) - which boldly investigated the politically charged 1986 Sabah riots after Parti Bersatu Sabah’s victory at the polls.

Both works aspire to showcase Sabah authentically to the rest of the world, and most importantly to West Malaysians.

Much of this is driven by what Nadira, 37, believes is a poor representation of Malaysians from Borneo by...