Have you ever heard of the beautiful island of Borneo? We certainly hadn’t until we met Jo Luping, the founder of Siung Films, an animation studio based in Sabah, Malaysia.
Located to the east of Malaysia, Borneo is an island divided among Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. To its north lies Sabah, a Malaysian state rich in culture and tradition. In Sabah, the indigenous Kadazan people share traditional tales about strong warriors, the Pangazou, and about their powerful spiritual leaders, the Bobohizan. These leaders were responsible for maintaining balance and harmony between the natural and supernatural realms. Inspired by these stories, Luping, who grew up listening to these tales from her father, conceptualised the animated project Anavau and the Legend of Nunuk Ragang, drawing on the rich folklore of her homeland.
“Anavau takes Borneo mythology and weaves it into a contemporary story about a half-Malaysian half-New Zealander teenager who travels into the spirit world–Kahazapan–to rescue her mother, trapped by an evil shape-shifter,” Luping told AnimationXpress at Kre8tif! 2024 – an event organised by Malaysia Digital Content Festival (MYDCF) under Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Anavau was a finalist at Kre8tif! 2023’s Elevator Pitch initiative, as well as part of Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024’s MIFA Southeast Asia pitches.
The synopsis of the story reads: Teenage Ana visits Sabah for the first time in her life to attend the funeral of Odu – the grandmother she never met. When her mother’s life force is stolen by Guunsing, an evil spirit intent on ruling the seven indigenous spiritual realms of Kahazapan, she is forced to question where she is from and the family history that shapes who she is. To save her mother, Ana volunteers to journey beyond the veil to bring her back. Ana is guided by the spirit of Odu, a crotchety goat, a sensitive buffalo, and Lilip, a Sundatang Fairy. Together, they traverse the woven layers of Kahazapan to rescue Ana’s mother and protect their spiritual home, Nunuk Ragang, against Guunsing and his army. They must prevent Guunusing from breaking free to rule the world.
Anavau’s pre-production and seed funding
While initially conceived as an idea for a feature film, the IP is being developed at Siung Films as an animated series. Luping is directing the series and co-writing it with New Zealand’s filmmaker Paula Whetu Jones. Luping and her project Anavau have been accepted as part of the WIA (Women In Animation) SxW Mentorship programme, and is being mentored by animation veteran Eric Homan. Anavau’s initial script, concept work and graphics have been created with the financial assistance of MDEC – an agency under the country’s Ministry of Digital. The team is currently seeking co-production partners and additional funding for the series.
Distinct styles across realms
The series will be a 2D-3D hybrid, with Siung Films developing the 2D part and another indigenous creative company from Sabah, Tickle Pod, working on 3D.
“Since the lead protagonist’s journey spans across time as well as realms, we have developed distinct ways to portray their adventures. We have captured life in a more realistic 2D style,” Luping revealed. While developing her own series, she aims to highlight the indigenous crafts of Sabah and Borneo, like woven basketry, woven mats and Malaysian shadow puppetry Wayang Kulit. “Each world in the story will be stylistically different, drawing on the motifs and cultural heritage of the indigenous people from Sabah. We worked with weavers to create a Woven World for flashbacks and dreams. In the spirit world of Kahazapan, the look is closer to action genre animations and features, allowing more expressive freedom and fast-paced battles.”
Luping has not limited the influence of Sabah’s culture in Anavau to just folk tales and crafts. A significant part of the music in the series will be composed using Sundatang – a traditional stringed instrument. “I am working with a composer Roger Wang, who has been researching Sundatang, and later built it himself to create music.”
Research
While Anavau’s concept has been in Luping’s consciousness for long, she actively started researching for the IP in the past few years. “Beginning with my late great aunty, I have been interviewing elders about the role of women in our community, the role of indigenous wellness, the plants our people used, the rituals they performed and how their culture incorporated respect for the environment.”
Story about women
“My father’s writing was influenced by his strong mother. Our culture valued the role that women had to play. Our female role models were strong and fierce of heart and the male role models respected the equal partnership between men and women. My intention is to tell stories about kickass gutsy women who embody those traits of strength through empathy and kindness,” she stated.
Anavau will comprise the universal themes around mother and daughter relationships, coming of age, spirituality and the environment. “Our lead character Ana’s journey to save her mother and battle against the darkness that threatens to engulf everything she holds dear will be an unforgettable saga of courage, hope, and the enduring strength of the human spirit,” she concluded.
