Innovative Sabah teacher uses filmmaking to help students do better

When Sabah teacher Irwan Hamsah first set foot in SK Tampulan in Telipok, he never dreamt that he would be teaching students to make films.

Irwan, better known as Cikgu Iroet Marteni, joined the school in 2009, fresh off the teacher’s training college as an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) teacher.

The initial idea of filmmaking came about when Iroet was mulling on how to promote the school.

“As a rural school, our academic and sports achievement is not outstanding, so I was looking for another way to involve the students.

Cikgu Iroet set up Kelab Media dan Fotografi as part of the co-curriculum activity at the school to increase students’ participation and highlight the school.

Since then, he and his students have won many awards and received admiration for their effort.

The biggest hit by Iroet and his student is a 2017 YouTube thriller titled Tuhau vs Zombie that has gained 22 million views.

Recently, Cikgu Iroet took the time to speak to Citizen’s Journal on how filmmaking elevated SK Tampulan to another level.

Making filmmaking an activity

SK Tampulan is a primary school near Telipok town, which is almost 45 minutes drive from Kota Kinabalu.

With only 100 students, Education Ministry identified the school as one of the low enrolment schools.

“Generally, being a low enrollment school means many limitations because there is no visibility.

Understanding the issue at stake, Cikgu Iroet decided to embed filmmaking as part of the co-curriculum activity.

“We didn’t have any technical knowledge; all we had was the desire to do something with the students.

Equipped with his DSLR camera, he began to use everything he learned through the Youtube tutorial.

The first film he and his students produced was a short film titled Puasa Adam in 2015.

The story revolves around 10-year-old Adam, whose family converted to Islam, and soon he will be fasting for the first time.

The eight-minute short film won the runner-up award at Sabah Screen Fest.

“The short film received much praise from the community and the teaching fraternity in Sabah.

The following year, Cikgu Iroet and his students made another short film titled Berita Dari Sabah and won the first prize at the same festival.

According to him, the whole experience profoundly impacted his students.

Impact on his students

One of the most significant rewards is how the filmmaking activity managed to engage and impact his students, said Cikgu Iroet.

“It was difficult at first. Getting the children to open up and perform in front of the camera is a tremendous task. 

“However, the students respond well to visuals. So, getting them to pay attention and explore the medium is easier.

Furthermore, according to Cikgu Iroet, activities like this boost confidence in children. It gives them a sort of accomplishment when they do something and see an immediate result.

He also said he uses filmmaking as a method to give attention to students by giving them responsibility. 

“I usually pick timid or problematic kids, and when they are involved in the project, they tend to change into better individuals.

“They become responsible, motivate their peers and learn to work as a team. Furthermore, they became less shy.

According to Cikgu Iroet, the best example is his former student Edjucchio Effour Edmund.

Edmund was the lead actor in the 2019 production short film Solunsug. However, he had trouble expressing himself and was very shy, said Iroet.

“He started showing much improvement when he was involved in the short film production.

Edmund won the Best Actor at the Festival de Cinema Escolar de Alvorada, Brazil. He also scored 4As and 1B in UPSR in 2021.

Solunsug is a story of how a boy finds ways to bring some water resources to his stricken village during a drought.

Eight students acted in the film with the story written by another student Jon Ouman Tandagu. 

The film also took fourth place in the Short Film Festival, Turkey and was a finalist at the Busan International Kids and Youth Film Festival. 

The future of filmmaking in school

While the accolades lift the Cikgu Iroet and his students’ morale, they still face issues getting the proper equipment.

According to him, the school helped realise this vision of filmmaking as an extra-curricular activity, but there is only so much they can do.

“The education ministry has been encouraging secondary school students to involve in filmmaking through various programs. We wish they would extend it to primary school as well.

However, he also added that the State and District Education Departments have always supported their filmmaking activities.

“They are certainly proud of what we have accomplished as they see the student’s effort and the outcome of getting recognition in the international arena.

Today, Telipok is known for filmmaking because of our school. Many of our students started a YouTube page and posted videos they shot, said Iroet.

“Even though I feel I’ve accomplished something, there are so many things I can do for the students through filmmaking.

We are currently trying to set up a green screen studio to get the students to use them.

“I hope we will get more equipment to help the students be more involved and at the same time build their confidence.