WHEN you talk to Lara Ariffin, you don't just get one story; you embark on a journey through a series of interwoven tales. Though you can gently guide her back to the main topic, each of her stories is so captivating, intriguing and funny that you'll want to keep listening.
It's a meandering journey, much like the drive to her office in Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur. The narrow, winding road, flanked by whispering trees, feels like a world apart from the bustling highways just nearby.
But that's just who she is: a storyteller who, along with her husband, has opened the doors to the once impenetrable forest, revealing the lives of its inhabitants and the secrets of their home.
Through her stories, Lara invites you into a world previously hidden, sharing not only the beauty and mystery of the forest but also the resilience of the wildlife that dwell there.
For over 25 years, Lara Ariffin and her husband, Harun Rahman, have been producing captivating documentaries, covering a wide range of topics from wildlife and history, to megastructures and archaeology.
Their impressive portfolio includes collaborations with international broadcasters such as National Geographic Channel, History Channel and Channel NewsAsia. Their work has also earned them numerous awards, both locally and internationally.
Among their acclaimed films are Among the Great Apes with Michelle Yeoh, Sumatra's Last Tigers, On Borrowed Time, Rising Sun Over Malaya and The Highland Towers Disaster.
Despite their diverse projects, Lara's true passion lies in conservation. Throughout her career, she has partnered with various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to create impactful short documentaries that have influenced how we treat our planet and its wildlife. For the past decade, Lara has been deeply involved in tiger conservation, and she is now the president of Rimau, an NGO dedicated to saving tigers.
In the cosy enclave she calls her office, where books jostle for space on heaving bookshelves lining the walls and filling every corner, Lara sits smiling under the warmth of the yellow light that bathes the room in an ethereal glow. It may be a blazing hot afternoon outside, but here, where trees offer shade and stories are captured in every book, time moves differently.
"I was born in this house," she shares, matter-of-factly, adding: "When I was about seven and a half, we moved up the road where my parents bought another place. This house was rented out for the longest time. Then, just before Harun and I got married, my dad asked if we'd like to stay here. Not gonna say no, right?"
It's a rhetorical question and she laughs out loud without waiting for an answer.
"It's got such an old feel to it," she continues half-wistfully as she looks around. This house, with its many stairs and more hiding places than rooms, has been her home for years. It has seen her raise her two daughters and weather some of the hardest times during the recession, when they had to move their office here out of necessity.
"When we had to work late, the kids would bring their bantal (pillows), sit behind us and fall asleep," she recalls quietly.
These days, only the production house and Rimba have their offices here. Lara has relocated to her parents' house to care for her 90-year-old father and 88-year-old mother. "With both our daughters residing overseas, moving in with my parents was the most practical decision," she explains briskly.
INSPIRATIONS AND LESSONS
Our conversation meanders through many subjects — family anecdotes, being caregivers and reflections on the balance between passion and the demands of work. Amidst these enriching diversions, I delicately guide Lara back to the core of our discussion: her life's work, enduring passions and profound affinity for nature.
The jovial woman with salt-and-pepper hair glances at me, eyes sparkling behind her glasses. "It's my father who's influenced me the most," she confesses.
Her father, Tan Sri Kamarul Ariffin, a successful lawyer, had helmed Bank Bumiputra Bhd, transforming it into Southeast Asia's largest bank. He also held significant roles, such as National Consultative Council member, senator and president of both the National and Asean Chambers of Commerce. He chaired organisations, such as the World Scout Committee, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, and served as a legal adviser to numerous entities.
In 1983, he received the prestigious 160th Bronze Wolf, the highest honour bestowed by the World Organisation of the Scout Movement, recognising exceptional service to global Scouting, presented at the 25th World Scout Conference. Additionally, he was honoured with the Silver World Award for distinguished international service to youth by the Boy Scouts of America.
"My father is a true nationalist," Lara reflects, adding: "He always believed in giving back, and he instilled that value in my siblings and me. He'd say it's all about contributing your time and talent towards the betterment of the country. I learned that from him, and that's what Rimau, our NGO, is all about."
Moreover, her parents instilled in her a deep love for nature, encouraging her to appreciate and respect the natural world from a young age. This early exposure to diverse environments and wildlife fostered a lifelong passion for conservation and environmental stewardship.
She fondly recalls her visit to Taman Negara when she was about six. "I remember everything vividly, including the boat rides," she says, smiling. "We also visited Pulau Perhentian and I even had the opportunity to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. I was very fortunate to have such exposure at a young age."
She fondly reminisces about her upbringing in this hillside enclave and the cherished memories within these walls. Harun, she reveals, was her childhood best friend. "We were very good friends," she laughs, adding: "We both loved music and the outdoors, so we had a lot in common. But we never imagined we'd eventually fall in love and get married!"
FINDING THE 'CALL'
After obtaining an architectural degree which she humorously refers to as a "mistake", Lara got married in 1993. "By the time I had my second child, I gave up architecture and joined Harun at his documentary company, Novista," she recollects.
She learnt the basics of filmmaking from her husband. "I watched how he worked and I picked up the skills just by doing that," she says. Novista's first "nature" documentary was entitled Warisan Samudera, a 26-episode series delving into Malaysia's underwater world, which premiered back in 1997.
"The kids were still very young, so Harun handled most of the workload. We were fortunate because Astro commissioned two seasons," the 57-year-old recounts. Their shared passion for the outdoors drove their interest in producing more nature documentaries. "We always believed in the power of film to tell a story, especially when it comes to our natural heritage," she reflects, adding: "You really learn to cherish what you have."
Her voice falters, and she sighs. "It's heartbreaking to witness the loss of our forests and wildlife. I hoped that documentaries could open people's eyes to the wonders of the forest."
However, Lara readily admits that it doesn't cover the bills. Therefore, Novista also takes on commissioned projects alongside their passion for nature documentaries. "It's about striking a balance," she explains. "While commissioned projects provide financial stability, our nature documentaries fulfil our deeper mission of conservation and storytelling."
It was during the filming of one of their documentaries, Malaysia's Last Tigers back in 2009 that sparked the couple's passion for tigers. "We began researching the plight of our tigers and realised how alarming the statistics were. That marked the beginning of our journey in advocating for these animals," she recounts fondly.
The documentary coincided with the National Tiger Survey conducted by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in collaboration with several NGOs. "The bad news just kept coming. We discovered that Belum alone had lost 60 per cent of their tiger population," she says.
Poaching emerged as the primary threat to tigers and other wildlife, exacerbated by the widespread use of snares in the forests. These crude yet effective traps are indiscriminate, catching not only tigers but also endangering various other species crucial to the ecosystem's balance.
The toll on wildlife populations is devastating, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to combat illegal hunting practices and protect vulnerable species from further decline.
Driven by the critical situation faced by tigers, Lara and two of her sister's friends took decisive action, founding Rimau. "We understood the necessity for ground patrols and the establishment of secure forest zones for tigers," she recalls, emphasising the urgency of safeguarding these endangered species and their habitats.
FINDING HOPE
Rimau immediately launched fundraising initiatives to establish a patrolling team, and their initial success saw RM50,000 allocated to form a five-man Orang Asli patrol unit at the Royal Belum State Park. With continued fundraising efforts and a significant grant from Yayasan Hasanah, they expanded the patrol team.
Says Lara: "I'm thankful to Yayasan Hasanah. They recognised our mission and understood the critical situation facing tigers. If we don't take action now, we risk losing them." She pauses, before adding: "We're still at that critical juncture. We haven't turned the corner yet."
To date, Rimau has made a significant impact in areas such as the Royal Belum State Park, Aman Jaya and Korbu. With patrollers funded by the NGO on the ground and an increasing amount of film evidence documenting tiger populations and other fascinating wildlife, Lara and Harun are gradually revealing the hidden wonders of the forest.
Eyes glinting, she beckons me to sit next to her as she shows me videos taken from camera traps placed deep within the forest. Without saying a word, I watch in awe as seladangs, muntjacs, elephants, tapirs, dholes (wild dogs), clouded leopards, yellow-throated martens and tigers, among many others, come to life on the screen.
These captivating videos have been compiled into a series of mini-documentaries called Layar Liar, designed to be accessible to Malaysians, especially schoolchildren.
The aim is to create awareness and appreciation for Malaysia's rich natural heritage, fostering a deeper connection to the incredible wildlife that calls these forests home.
"You can't see them, of course, when you're out there in the forest," she explains, "but these camera trap recordings highlight the diverse wildlife we can find. The idea was to make Layar Liar a sort of Britannica or repository for Malaysian animals. We understand that not many people will have the opportunity to see this wildlife in person, so we decided to bring them to people wherever they are."
She beams with pride, continuing: "We've produced 52 episodes so far, which is bloody crazy!"
In addition to the documentaries, there are also workbooks for students to discover our natural heritage. "We're taking the Layar Liar workbooks to 72 schools this year," she shares. These workbooks highlight different animals, providing insightful information on each species along with engaging activities to make learning fun.
"It's not just about watching the videos; we want to educate the younger generation about our rich biodiversity and inspire them to care for our natural heritage," she adds. The workbooks are designed to deepen students' understanding and appreciation of wildlife, fostering a sense of responsibility towards conservation efforts from a young age.
The forests have unveiled their secrets to this husband-and-wife duo, and these revelations are now being broadcast to a broader audience. Through their work, stories of wildlife conservationists, diverse animals, and more are being brought to light. Lara succinctly captures their mission: "You need to know something to love it. You need to love it to protect it."
So, the storyteller weaves her spell, and here in this little enclave at Bukit Tunku, I spend hours captivated by the power of filmmaking and its potential to shape the future of our wildlife.
Can we foresee a better future for tigers and all the other fascinating inhabitants of our Malaysian jungles? Perhaps we can, if we peer through the lenses of these compelling documentaries that bring the hidden wonders of our forests into the light and lend our voices to protect what's rightfully our national heritage.