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More than one-third
of Sabah's 1.5 million people belong to the largest indigenous
group, the Dusn/Kadazan group. The group is a collectivity of
ethnic group speaking the same language and dialects. Within
this group they have at least 10 distinct languages with
possibly 30 or more dialects. Dusun is a language most widely
understood among this indigenous group.
The need for a
powerful gospel media to reach this indigenous group in the
interior led Campus Crusade leaders to decide on having the
"JESUS" film translated into Dusun. From April to
June 1988, Suliman and Petoh, both Sabahan staff and Herbert
Lagadan, a former staff, got down to work on the translation
of the "JESUS" script.
A committee of four
men approved the translation before recording work begins.
"We found the Dusun Bible translation were longer than
the script. There is only one syllable for God in English, but
in Dusun there are five syllables," explained Suliman of
some dilemma encountered in the process of translating.
"To solve the problem the actors will have to speak very
fast to fit in the lip movements."
Two members from the
JESUS Project Office, flew in from the United States with the
recording devices to supervise the recording . It took days to
locate a suitable studio and minor details like a connector to
set up the system before recording can begin. Suliman who was
coordinating the project marvelled at the way the Lord
answered their prayers. "We were in need of one more
televison set that is compatible with the recording system and
ther was none left in town. One of Petoh's disciple offered
his TV and it fitted. He stored it away ever since he brought
it back from the United States after completing his
studies."
Suliman spent
several days auditioning and testing out voices for the
different characters in the script. Seventeen people were
chosen. Despite the care taken to select those with the
suitable intonation and the ability to dramatise, some actors
had to patiently repeat their lines during recording. For 17
day, the team laboured 8 hours a day in the recording studio.
Each actor had to practice their voice to match the lip
movements of the actor in the picture. "There was
cooperation and everyone involved were willing to work hard to
make the project a success," says Suliman, who acted as
Jesus in the recording.
"JESUS" is
making history for this indigenous group for this will be the
first film ever seen in Dusun language.
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