Themes of identity and community run throughout Charles’ work, most notably in 'Meet Us At The Ridge'. Photo: Ekin Kee Charles
At a recent filmmaking workshop she conducted in Penampang in her home state of Sabah, Ekin Kee Charles was reminded of how she first got her start in filmmaking.
“It took me back to about six years ago, when it was just me, my friend and my brother with a camera, still trying to figure out my voice,” says Charles during a recent interview in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
The two-day workshop, organised by local non-profit Pacos Trust, was aimed at helping members of indigenous communities across Sabah share their stories through short films and documentaries.
For the 29-year-old Kimaragang descendant, a Kadazandusun Dayak sub-tribe, leading her first formal workshop proved eye-opening, prompting reflection on her filmmaking journey so far.
A cinematography graduate from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Charles’ breakthrough came with Pace, her award-winning short film that clinched the BMW Shorties 2019 Grand Prize – making her the first East Malaysian to do so.
“I didn’t have any expectations when I submitted the film; I decided to give it a try because there was no submission fee, so I had nothing to lose,” she says with a laugh.
“But everything changed after winning.”
Charles (right) on set in Sabah with one of the actors in her video work 'Peaceland'. Photo: Ekin Kee Charles
Charles’ short Pace follows village youngsters in Sabah through the eyes of Yaya, a girl awakening to gender differences and societal stereotypes.
With a BMW Group Malaysia grant in 2020, Charles went on to make Rama Rama, a coming-of-age story that questions “conventional” beauty, starring her niece Alyaa Sharyana Erisha, who also appeared in Pace.
Generational divide
Despite her success, Charles never planned to be a filmmaker. She once dreamed of becoming an architect, even applying to every architecture course she could after finishing school.
“I had eight slots to fill, but there weren’t enough architecture courses to fill them all up, so for the final slot, my sister suggested that I put down cinematography. And that’s the course I ended up getting,” says Charles.
“Filmmaking had never crossed my mind – it felt foreign to someone who grew up in a village in Kota Marudu, three hours from Kota Kinabalu. Until I left at 19, the village was all I knew.”
At 23, after finishing her studies, she moved to Kuala Lumpur, where she is now based and works as a script supervisor.
In 2022, Charles received the Han Nefkens Foundation–Loop Barcelona Video Art Production Award after the arts foundation discovered her short films Pace and Rama Rama through a recommendation by Sabahan contemporary artist Yee I-Lann.
“They asked me to pitch an idea for a film. At the time, I was somewhat grappling with my identity as someone of indigenous descent existing in modern society, so I incorporated that dilemma into my pitch and they ended up liking it,” she says.
Charles anchors her stories in her hometown community – often involving them as cast and crew. Photo: The Star/Muhamad Shahril Rosli
With the US$15,000 (RM63,430) award, Charles produced Meet Us At The Ridge: 6.0753° N, 116.5588° E, an eight-minute experimental film exploring generational differences with her mother over faith and native traditions.
“Meet Us At The Ridge was a huge personal milestone for me, as it was my first non-narrative work. I consider it my first debut as an artist,” says Charles.
She sat down with her mother, a teacher, and asked her how she felt about identity and culture. The recorded conversation lasted two hours.
“It was the longest talk we’d ever had, and the first time we spoke so openly about these topics. I realised that while our views differ, both are valid – she’s a product of her time, just as I am of mine,” she says.
In the film, Charles weaves her mother’s words with raw, haunting visuals that mirror her own feelings, centring on the Mongukas ceremony – a traditional rite of honouring ancestors through the sacrifice of a bull.
The film has established Charles in contemporary art circles. Premiering at Fundació Joan Miró during the Loop Barcelona Festival 2024, it has since been shown at Ilham Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, and MoCA Taipei this year, and will travel to partner institutions including Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva; Art Hub Copenhagen; and Inside Out Art Museum, Beijing.
Home is where the heart is
In March, Meet Us At The Ridge was shown as a film installation at Ilham Gallery, alongside Charles’ short Peaceland. The contrast was striking: where Meet Us At The Ridge is sombre and introspective, Peaceland bursts with humour and vivacity.
In Peaceland, three senior women dressed in their fashionable best – Rena, Mina and Joni – hitchhike on a truck from their distant village to make the long journey to town to purchase monthly household goods and convince Rena’s daughter to come home.
“It’s a comedy about three ‘besties’ who are in their late 60s, yet they’re acting very Gen Z-like, without a care in the world. I grew up around such vibrant characters. And that’s what I wanted to highlight in the film.
“I wanted to show everyone the joy and happiness that exists here in Sabah. These people and these stories... they’re why I think my village is the best place on earth,” says Charles.
Her hometown, Kampung Damai, is a small village of extended family, where Saturdays mean potluck gatherings and major festivals – Kaamatan, Hari Raya, Christmas – are celebrated equally.
“The village is basically a long row of houses all belonging to family members – we’re big and close-knit. It’s my family that inspires me to tell stories. All my short films have been about them, in one way or another,” says Charles.
To learn and discover
Charles hopes to take on more directing projects: “I’m comfortable with my own work, but I’d like to see how I’d approach stories written by others.”
She also hopes to explore creativity beyond film.
“I don’t want to limit myself to video – it’s a beautiful medium, but through Meet Us At The Ridge, I discovered I can sew, making the costumes myself. I may try fashion or mixed media, just to see where those paths lead,” she says.
So does she feel closer to finding her voice as an artist? For Charles, it’s still a work in progress.
Charles on the set of her short film 'Rama Rama' in 2020 – an early milestone in her journey. Photo: Ekin Kee Charles
“Right now, there’s a lot of talk about proper representation for minority communities, including indigenous voices like mine.
“It’s important, but it can also feel like a burden. I used to question whether I was qualified to represent my community and culture, because I felt I didn’t know enough,” she admits.
It took a friend’s reminder – that she didn’t need to know everything – to ease that doubt.
“I realised it’s okay not to know everything about my culture and heritage, as long as I’m willing to learn. To other filmmakers who feel they don’t deserve to tell their stories: don’t let that stop you.
“What matters is that you tell them. The more you do, the more you’ll learn and discover,” she concludes.
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