CULTURE© 2019 Rob Allyn
CULTURE© 2019 Rob Allyn / STBJonathan RhysMeyers in theupcomingWhite RajahWhite Rajah broughtback to lifeThe legendary “founding father” of Sarawak setto hit the big screen in new Hollywood extravaganzaFor many in the western world, the nameSir James Brooke has little meaning. That’sabout to change, as a new Hollywoodblockbuster, filmed at the end of 2019, andin post-production in early 2020, will soonbe hitting the world’s screens.The movie, with the workingtitle “White Rajah”, tells thestory of how this formerBritish soldier, who sailedto Borneo in 1839 in searchof adventure and fortune,came to be known as theWhite Rajah of Sarawak,after helping the Sultanof Brunei crush a piraterebellion.The new film was producedby Rob Allyn, directedby Michael Haussmanand stars Jonathan RhysMeyers in the role of theRajah. Rhys Meyers is bestknown for his roles in MatchPoint, Mission: ImpossibleIII, and Tudors and Vikings.Actor Dominic Monaghan,who played the hobbitMerry in the Lord of theRings trilogy, takes therole of Colonel ArthurCrookshank, Brooke’scousin and comrade-inarms.The production was madein cooperation with theBrooke Heritage Trust,supported with Malaysia’sfederal FIMI film rebate -the first time the rebate hasbeen used to make a majormovie outside of PeninsularMalaysia. Sarawak’sMinister of Tourism, Arts,Culture, Youth and Sports,Datuk Abdul Karim RahmanHamzah, has placed hissupport behind the project,saying he felt that thefact the film showcasesmany beautiful locationsin the state will arousegreat interest in travel toSarawak.Shooting took place in therustic town of Siniawan,the Fairy and Wind Caves inBau, Sarawak, the SarawakCultural Village and Borneo744.Producer Rob Allyn sayshe hopes his new film willbe ready in time to screenat the 2020 Cannes FilmFestival in MayWHITERAJAH EPICORIGINALLYPLANNEDBY ERROLFLYNN IN1936The successful filming ofthis Hollywood epic comesaround 84 years after a first –unsuccessful – bid to make afilm about the White Rajah, bynone other than Errol Flynn,who was also to star in the film.The film never came to fruition,due to legal wrangling betweenthe would-be producers,Warner Brothers, and LadySylvia Brooke, the then Ranee(Queen) of Sarawak over“historical accuracy”.8 SMART GUIDE www.sarawaktourism.com
CULTUREThe Antithesisof British colonial ruleSarawak Raj was a very “different” kind ofleadershipSir JamesBrookeThe White Rajahs ruled Sarawak from1841 to 1946. The first ruler, subject of thenew Hollywood feature film, was Sir JamesBrooke. As a reward for helping the Sultanof Brunei fight piracy and insurgencyamong the indigenous peoples, he wasgranted the province of Sarawak in 1841,as an independent Kingdom.DELVING INTO HISTORYAT FORT MARGHERITAIn Kuching, the veryprominent Fort Margheritaon the riverfront was builtby the second Rajah,Charles Brooke. Designedin the style of an Englishcastle in 1879, it protectedKuching from pirateattacks, and was namedafter Charles Brookes’ wifeMargaret Alice Lili de Windt.In 2016, having previouslyhoused the Police Museum,it was transformed intothe “Brooke Gallery” –showcasing the BrookedynastyBrooke pursued a policyof paternalism, withthe goal of protectingthe indigenous peoples– the Iban and otherDayak tribes – fromcapitalist exploitation.He installed laws banningslavery, headhunting andpiracy.After James Brooke laidmuch of the groundworkfor the expansion ofSarawak, his nephewCharles, the secondRajah, was the “greatbuilder”. He constructedpublic buildings, such asa hospital, in addition toforts, as well as extendingthe borders of the state.Vyner Brooke, the sonof Charles, institutedsignificant politicalreforms. He endedthe absolute rule ofthe Rajah in 1941,before the Japaneseinvasion during World WarII, by granting new powersto the parliament.The Brooke family stillmaintains strong ties tothe state and its peopleand are representedby the Brooke Trust, andby Anthony Brooke’sgrandson Jason DesmondAnthony Brooke, atmany state functionsand supporting heritageprojects.The Brookes’ architecturallegacy can still be seenthroughout SarawakFort Margherita (centre),with the State Assembly (right)ANOTHER REMINDEROF THE BROOKE LEGACY:FORT ALICE, SRI AMANFort Alice, built in 1864in the coastal town of SriAman, around 200kmnorth of Kuching, was giventhe second name of theRajah’s wife. After years ofloving restoration, itwas opened to thepublic in 2015, andwon the gold awardfor conservation inMalaysia’s Instituteof Architects’ 2017Awards. The galleryinside shows thehistory of the fort itself, thesmall town of Sri Aman aswell as the tense contentionbetween the Iban peopleand the British soldiers ofthe Brooke eraFort Alice,Sri Amanwww.sarawaktourism.comSMART GUIDE 9
