The movie Zombie Infection – Belaban Hidup has caught the eyes of many all over the world, bagging awards and nominations from Russia, Singapore, Mexico, Sweden, USA, France, Philippines, and more. Despite gaining international fame and recognition, the movie is yet to be screened in Malaysia. According to film director Ray Lee Voon Leong (Ray Lee), Malaysia can look forward to watching the movie in local cinemas in November this year, depending on the Covid-19 situation.
The film was initially produced in 2016 as a short film. Since then, the producers fought hard to raise sufficient funds to transition it into a full-length feature film, and thankfully they did, bringing the Zombie Infection – Belaban Hidup to the screens earlier this year. To date, the movie has been screened in about 30 film festivals all around the world – 2021 World Film Carnival (WFC) – Singapore, International Symbolic Art Film Festival in Russia, Macabro: Mexico City International Horror Film Festival, just to name a few.
Zombie Infection – Belaban Hidup follows a story of the indigenous Dayak tribe in a Bornean village being attacked by zombies. The Dayak warriors engage in a fierce battle of survival against the zombies to ensure the safety of their people. The movie clearly showcased the rich cultures of the Dayak tribe, paying off the efforts the producers and directors took to make it as authentic as possible.
From the language and accent to the costume and props, everything was made genuine to the tribe. An Iban culture specialist was hired to monitor the scripts, while villagers from the rural longhouses in Limbang were hired to design the ‘baju gagung’, ‘baju ngeban Iban’, Ilang (Iban sword), and also to decorate the longhouse the production used for shooting.
They went as far as to even hire indigenous people that have never acted before, to play vital roles in the movie. Though some might perceive this as a risky move, Producer Misha Minut Panggau and Ray Lee went forward with it not only to keep the authenticity of the culture but to also build the Dayak film industry in Malaysia and provide the opportunity to these indigenous people to obtain skills and knowledge in this field.
Ray Lee said, “The Dayak culture is very exotic. We decided to make a film about indigenous Dayak warriors versus zombies because it is rare to see this type of movie on Malaysian TV, even more so for the Dayak language and culture. We want to build the Dayak film industry in Malaysia. It is time for the minority indigenous people to have their own film industry. That is why we give the opportunity to new actors in the feature film, hoping they will gain valuable skills and knowledge of the industry.”
According to Ray Lee, he had a great time working with the Dayak people as they were very disciplined and passionate; some of them even volunteered to come to set to lend a helping hand. The indigenous tribe was very artistic and creative in designing props and costumes, and their enthusiasm was over the roof.
The real challenge, however, lies in the forest terrains of Borneo. About 80% of the movie was shot in Perak, the rest of it was shot in Miri. Ray Lee commented saying, “We had to travel 20km deep into the jungle, transferring all the equipment into a four-wheel drive, and driving through the forest at the mercy of unpredictable weather and wild animals.”
In the movie, Ray Lee is also seen playing the role of Kunyou – a husband who has to take care of his infected wife. He said, “I chose this role because I want to be a part of the first-ever Dayak film ever produced by a Dayak film producer, Misha Minut. I think this role is heartwarming, that’s why I decided to take on this small role and get a feel of acting in the rainforest.”
Below is the list of awards and nominations for the movie Zombie Infection – Belaban Hidup:
- 2021 World Film Carnival (WFC) – Singapore, Best Horror Film
- International Symbolic Art Film Festival, Russia – Best Feature Film
- International Symbolic Art Film Festival, Russia – Best Horror Film
- International Symbolic Art Film Festival, Russia – Best Young Actress
- Hollywood Blood Horror Festival, Los Angeles – Best First Time Director
- Sweden Film Awards – Best Horror Film
- Paris Film Festival – Best Horror Film
- 5th Canadian Diversity Film Festival – Best Feature Film
- 2nd Asian Cinematography Awards (ACA) – Best Feature Film
- iHollywood Film Fest – Nominated
- Toronto Film Awards – Honorable Mention
- Athens International Art Film Festival – Honorable Mention
- Thrills, Chills, and Kills Film Fest, Nashville – Official Selection
- 11th Russian International Horror Film Awards – Official Selection
- 20th Macabro: Mexico City International Horror Film Festival – Official Selection
- 10th Marina del Rey Film Festival – Official Selection
- 14th Native Spirit Film Festival – Official Selection
- New Indie Film Festival of London – Official Selection
- Portland Horror Film Festival – Official Selection
