Preservation vs Evolution of Culture

For culture to thrive, should it be preserved in its purest form, or should it evolve with the times? Do they work against each other or can preservation and evolution co-exist? Join world-renowned Sape Artist Alena Murang & award winning bornean film director Sarah Lois Dorai for a special screening of their short documentary Songs of the Highlands, followed by a sharing session discussing their work in efforts to keep their shared Kelabit heritage alive for future generations.

Alena Murang

Alena Murang is an internationally acclaimed sape' musician, vocalist, visual artist and storyteller from Sarawak, celebrated for bringing the rich cultural heritage of the Kelabit and Kenyah communities to audiences around the world. The first woman to professionally perform on the traditional sape', she sings in the endangered Kenyah and Kelabit languages, weaving ancestral stories into contemporary music, visual art and film. Guided by the belief that culture should be lived rather than simply preserved, Alena's work bridges tradition and modernity, carrying the voices, rhythms and spirit of Borneo to stages and galleries across more than 20 countries.

Sarah Lois Dorai

Sarah Lois Dorai is an award winning Kelabit film director, publisher & creative from Malaysia whose work is shaped by community-led collaboration with indigenous communities and cultural practitioners. Her films largely explore the intersection of womanhood and cultural continuity and she passionately advocates for indigenous authorship, self-agency and representation both in and outside the film industry. Sarah was honoured as one of Southeast Asia’s Top 5 Women in Media (2024) and named among WikiImpact’s 100 Malaysian Changemakers for her contributions to Arts & Culture (2025).