Rethinking ‘Documentary’
In March 2022, my first film in Jahai premiered on International Day of Forests. The film Lak Wak Tu Neng (Tracking Love) followed my collaboration with indigenous hornbill guardians. I don’t speak Jahai, but I chose it because films in this language are rare. Their story, their language—it felt right.
The film breaks away from conventional documentary filmmaking. The longest scene—hornbill guardians watching a nest—mirrors what they told me: watching nests is boring. Mainstream documentaries wouldn’t allow this. But without broadcaster restrictions, I had the freedom to experiment. This made me ask: Can my documentaries be visual art?
Returning to Video Art Making
I started making video art in 1988. My preferred course wasn’t available at the State University of New York at Binghamton, so I built my own curriculum. I studied across three faculties, including Cinema, where I learned from Prof. Ralph Hocking, a pioneer in electronic media art. Now, nearly four decades later, I feel the urge to experiment again.
Peat on Earth: A New Exploration
In 2025, with support from the British Council’s Connections Through Culture arts grant, I’m expanding my artistic practice.
To tell the story of Peat on Earth, I’m collaborating with Manchester-based Studio 91 Media, Cumbria-born poet Matt Sowerby, and Kuala Lumpur-born poet Kimchi Lai. Together, we will connect young people with the peat forests of the UK and Malaysia, highlighting their role in fighting climate change. What better way to inspire them than through poetry and spoken word art films?
With the grant secured, Factual TV and Studio 91 Media will invite forest custodians to co-create an exhibition and sharing session in the UK and Malaysia. What will happen when young poets and filmmakers spend two days immersed in peatlands?
Join us as we challenge negative perceptions of being bogged down and swamped with work while celebrating these vital ecosystems. The exhibitions will take place in August/September 2025 in Kuala Lumpur and Manchester.
Read the February 10, 2025 announcement here.