Namatai: From Kinabalu With Love

A Cinematic Odyssey at the Heart of Tragedy and Dusun Culture

Namatai: From Kinabalu With Love is set against the backdrop of the tragic 'Sandakan Death March' in 1945, when over 3,000 British, Australian and other soldiers were forced to walk 300 kilometres from Sandakan to Ranau. Miraculously, only six survived, rescued by locals who braved the dangers.

The film also explores the cultural richness of the Dusun community in the pre-independence era. Namatai was filmed not only in Malay, but also in the Dusun language. The term 'Namatai' is important in Dusun belief as it symbolises the spirit. The Dusun believe that when their ancestors died, their spirits found rest on the summit of Mount Kinabalu.

Directed by Marlin bin Malalin, better known as Marlin Brando, the film aims to usher in a new cinematic era for Sabah. During the press conference held at the GSC Imago Mall on 9 December 2023, Marlin revealed that the production took about five years and was marked by the challenges posed by the closures related to the COVID crisis.

Despite the interruptions caused by the pandemic, the film promises to captivate audiences when it hits theatres on 28 December 2023.

Film Details

Country: Malaysia
Date: 2023
Genre: Romance, War
Length: 1h35m
Language: Malay, Dusun
Subtitles: Malay
Classification: P13
Director: Marlin Malalin

Synopsis

During the Japanese occupation (1942-1945), a local village girl had saved an English officer who was being hunted by the aggressors. He returned to England when the war ended but later comes back to Sabah to find the village girl who had saved his life.

Watch the trailer

Showtimes

(for information only, please check Cinemas screening times)

• GSC, Suria Sabah
  2.30pm, 9.30pm

• GSC, 1Borneo
  10.45am, 12.50pm, 2.55pm, 5pm, 7.05pm, 9.10pm

• GSC, Imago Mall
  10.45am, 12.50pm, 2.55pm, 5pm, 7.05pm, 9.10pm

• Growball, Growball Cinemax
  1.50pm, 5.20pm, 11.15pm

• City C'plex, City Cineplex
  11am, 3.30pm, 5.20pm, 8.55pm, 11.05pm