"SIAPA Mengajar Kita?" (Who Teaches Us?), wonders Sabahan Cristy Aniko M as she searches for her own history and heritage in a micro-documentary.
The 29-year-old reveals that despite being Sabahan and a KadazanDusun, she felt there was much she did not know about what it means to be a Sabahan and indigenous.
Through Siapa Mengajar Kita?, the filmmaker says: "I had barely learnt about our own Kadazan language and culture growing up. I noticed most schools here don't teach any of that."
A lot of her own traditional knowledge has been passed down through stories or by being around family gatherings.
"Today, our connection to knowledge is more accessible through the internet. It's one of the first places where we can search Google for answers and, sometimes, save ourselves from the embarrassment of asking people directly," says the Kota Kinabalu native.
However, researching online is not always fully or properly documented, she says. "And it isn't the same as asking people in person.
"I find that there are a lot of mistakes and inaccuracies found in AI-generated posters, music, and videos, and much of the information about our culture is misinformed or unethically sourced.
"This is dangerous for our physical connection to our environment and how we view our elders. AI cannot replace our elders."
With a film grant from the Freedom Film Network's Lost In Transmission initiative, her journey led her to Sekolah Adat Anak Negeri Sabah (SAANS) — the Sabah Native Customary School Living Lab.
Founded in 2019, it represents a significant effort to preserve indigenous languages and cultures, while strengthening the culture, language, and identity of the Orang Asal through a more formalised education system.
There are now 41 Sekolah Adat across Sabah. The schools offer 19 subjects, including native customary law, governance, history, language, art, traditional medicine, and geography.
She says the school conducts an intensive three-day programme attended by students ranging in age from 16 to over 70.
"This is where intergenerational lived experience, learning, and teaching come together. After the programme, participants are encouraged to contribute further by supporting the school — whether by creating workshops and programmes or helping with maintenance."
This year, sessions were held almost monthly, compared to just two sessions last year. The programme has been self-funded thus far.
Cristy says the gurus took some time to warm up to her and her film project.
"I am a young woman, so perhaps they didn't take me seriously at first. But after talking with and interviewing the gurus, they became much more comfortable with me.
"So, through Siapa Mengajar Kita? and Sekolah Adat, I explore the places where we can ask questions to find answers to topics that may be unfamiliar from our own lived experiences — compared to what we find online.
"I hope this film will open up conversations and reach communities that feel unseen, showing that there is a shared space and experience regarding not feeling or being 'indigenous enough'.
"I hope the film sparks curiosity among Malaysians and opens a way to respectfully hold space for one another. There is renewed hope to continue learning and practising our language, traditions, adat, and history — we are not completely extinct yet."
Nor is AI the proper way to learn about our history, traditions (including traditional medicine), and customs.
Cristy's film is one of several documentaries being screened at the 21st edition of the FreedomFilmFest (FFF), which runs from today (Oct 22) to Sunday (Oct 25) at PJPAC.
Themed "Rooted in Humanity: Dari Akar ke Akal", Cristy's seven-minute film is scheduled for screening on Oct 24. For details, visit https://freedomfilm.my/fff2026/full-programme-list/
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