Bajau Laut - the Sea is our Home

sea nomads in Borneo – a story of survival

Against censorship in Malaysia and under the threat of arrest for entering a forbidden zone to document the forced eviction of the last traditional sea nomads on Malaysia’s east coast, this film captures a final portrait of their traditional culture, spiritual life, and cultural heritage before its destruction. This project was made possible through the support of indigenous partners and my mentor, Ilona Grundmann, a senior producer who has worked with Werner Herzog and other renowned filmmakers. When I began the project, I had no idea that the traditional village I visited would be destroyed by the authorities shortly afterward. I returned to find a dramatically changed reality and a very different story. The film became the last visual document of a disappearing culture. Today, the displaced community is scattered, and many of its members are under pressure to assimilate into modern society—an evolution of transformation that became an integral part of the film’s narrative.