MANTERA: BOBOLIAN STORY & MYSTICAL RITUAL OF THE DUSUN
GSC Cinema, Starling Mall, Kuala Lumpur – The premiere of “Mantera”, a horror story associated with a certain race, especially in a state like Sabah, is quite rarely shown.
Not to mention the stories that are closely related to ancient practices and are still practiced today.
That is among the things featured in the film titled Mantera, a story about the long tradition of ritual practices carried out by ‘Bobolian’ (bomoh) who are synonymous among the Dusun people, produced by Pro Merge Vision Sdn. Bhd.
Director, Chester Pang said, Mantera was inspired by the story of ‘Bobolian’ and he felt called to share with the public about the existence of an old traditional practice of the Dusun people in Sabah which is now rarely practiced.
“It can be said that not many people know about the long tradition of ritual practices carried out by ‘Bobolian’ as customary leaders and as mediators and balancers between the two realms, namely the real world (humans) and the ‘kinohiringan’ (gods).
“So, I feel that the story of the Bobolian or Dusun shaman is quite interesting to be made into a film,” he said.
Mantera features a cast of popular actors, namely Syafie Naswip and Namron, as well as Sabah-born actors such as Jovenia Jim, Wedylin Batala and Larry Noh.
Around the Premiere of the Film “Mantera”
Chester said, Mantera is a film that tells the story of an investigation into a murder case that is closely related to the practice of ‘Bobolian’. He added that the latest film he directed is not only full of horror scenes, but also depicts the rituals carried out by ‘Bobolian’ and shows the element of evil spirits in the norms of community life.
Meanwhile, the director, who is also a producer, admitted that two terrifying incidents occurred while filming was taking place in February 2024 in Tambunan, Apin-Apin and Kota Belud.
“The first was during the scene of summoning spirits at a public hall when the main female actress and a female supporting actress were possessed, but were successfully controlled by a silat teacher who happened to be at the filming location. The second incident was when a crew member fell into a ravine and claimed he felt like something was pulling him. In fact, the incident was also witnessed by Syafie Naswip and Namron,” he said.
Despite facing challenges and scary incidents, Chester said the film he directed is worth watching when it starts showing in cinemas starting April 24, 2025.
Official poster of the movie “Mantera”
He explained that Mantera is not just a horror story, but it brings a different narrative when it highlights traditional practices of the Dusun people that may not be known to many.
“This film combines elements of horror and mysticism with a cultural theme from Sabah, which is rarely shown, so it is one of the attractions to watch. As a producer, I certainly hope that this film will be well-received and will be a big hit,” he said.
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