KUCHING : Local film director, Nova Goh has released a six-minute film about Lun Bawang’s traditional musical instrument called Tapi as part of his efforts to revive the long forgotten instrument.
The film tells the story of the life of Rining Peter Paris, known as the “Last Tapi Player”.
When contacted by New Sarawak Tribune, Goh, who was born and raised here, said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to present an authentic local narrative from his own perspective and life experiences, steering clear of stereotypes or stories designed solely to appease the masses.
He said the short film captured Rining’s heartfelt story as he travelled back to his hometown, Ba’kelalan to revive the long-forgotten Tapi during the recent Gawai Festival.
“We proposed the idea during Hari Raya holidays and we started the production by May 8 and ended on May 20. The whole process took around less than one month before it was screened,” he said.
When Rining met Goh by chance, he shared with Goh that his dream was to return to Ba’kelalan, the ancestral home of the Lun Bawang community, and perform the Tapi for his fellow tribesmen.
“The Ba’Kelalan highland had always been a place on the map of Sarawak that I was eager to visit. It resembles the Bario highland but is even more remote and challenging to reach.
“Personally, I truly wanted to witness the sound of Tapi resounding in Ba’Kelalan once again,” Goh told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday (June 15).
The six-minute film was 90 per cent directed and shot in Ba’Kelalan while part of it was shot at Lawas town and the town’s airport.
Goh shared that after the production, both he and Rining gazed at the starry skies in exhaustion but also contentment.
He said with the help of the media, it was possible to revive the art of playing the Tapi.
Goh graduated from the University of Arts in Taiwan and first started making short films in 1998.
With 24 years of experience, his works have been featured internationally such as the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival.
He also revealed that there would be more local stories to come and that “The Last Tapi Player” was only the beginning.
