CelcomDigi sheds light on local harvest festivals with new brand docufilm

CelcomDigi and Naga DDB Tribal have launched a docufilm in light on Pesta Kaamatan and Hari Gawai, which are annual celebrations where Sabahans and Sarawakians give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

In collaboration with East-Malaysian filmmakers, the docufilm aims to create an authentic portrayal of Sabah and Sarawak stories. Titled “Dua Hati, Satu Jiwa", the film captures the journey of East Malaysian filmmakers Nova Goh and Putri Purnama Sugua as they tell a harvest festival story through the lens of locals.

In Sarawak, Goh captures musician-craftsman, Rining Peter Paris’ arduous 15-hour journey that spanned three modes of transportation in his pursuit to celebrate Gawai by reviving the forgotten sound of the Tapi in his home village. 

Over in Sabah, Putri shines a light on the uphill battle of villager Gabriel Elebin Jaidi and Lightup Borneo as they strive to bring electricity to the off-the-grid village to celebrate Kaamatan with lights for the first time.

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According to Alvin Teoh, Naga DDB Tribal’s chief creative officer, the film was inspired by the fact that Malaysians are largely ignorant of these festivals and therefore deemed it imperative to raise awareness of them. 

To bring this vision to life, Naga DDB Tribal worked closely with Mojo Films.

"Through Mojo Films, we reached out to film-makers from East Malaysia to pass them the brief and let them propose to us the story they wanted to tell and create. Our task was to take what’s given and weave it into a cohesive story that reflects the belief of CelcomDigi, that we are stronger when we are together. We hope we’ve done some justice here," Teoh added. 

“With the exceptional talents of Nova Goh and Putri Purnama Sugua, both native to the states we explored, we were able to capture the essence of Sabahans and Sarawakians as they celebrate Hari Gawai and Pesta Kaamatan. Their unique perspectives and intimate connection to the communities added authenticity and depth to our storytelling. This film is a testament to the strength that comes from unity and the indomitable spirit of these remarkable tribes. It is a film made by the people, for the people, and I am humbled by the experience of bringing their vibrant cultures and inspiring journeys to the screen," said Mojo Films’ director, Barney Chua.

The brand films come shortly after the company  appointed Idham Nawawi as CEO and Albern Murty as deputy CEO in December last year. Both are incumbent CEOs of Celcom and Digi respectively.

Also confirmed were the appointments of the company’s board of directors and management team. Digi's CMO Praveen Rajan is now chief consumer business officer while Celcom Axiata's chief corporate and transformation officer Kamal Khalid is now chief transformation officer. Other members of the management team include chief corporate affairs officer Joachim Rajaram, chief technology officer Kesavan Sivabalan, chief sales and retail officer Cheng Weng Hong, chief strategy officer Erik Axel Sigurd Marell, and chief enterprise business officer Afizulazha Abdullah, among others.

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