Balan the Blowpipe Maker

The Selungo river runs through a remote network of valleys in the highland interior of Sarawak, in Malaysian Borneo. Dense forests cover the steep slopes and ridges, blanketing the land into the distance. The Penan people are the original inhabitants of these forests. The Selungo valley is one part of their homeland.

This short film depicts, the painstaking process of carving a blowpipe, the unique hunting tool used by the Penan. The weapons are still used by some members of the tribe for hunting with poison darts, but Balan Kade was the last person in his village who knew how to make them.

Balan died in 2020 and this film is dedicated to his memory. His patience, his skill and most of all his infectious personality shines through in this short film.