Bajau Laut: Nomads of the Sea (2008)

Having roamed along the Islands off the east coast of Borneo for centuries, the Bajau Laut's unique lifestyle is being lost. For the past 50 years their nomadic ways have been given up for a sedentary one, and now few traditional Bajau remain. But even with the pressure to settle on land the Bajau choose to build their pile houses over water, sometimes many miles out, on the edge of where the Borneo shelf drops away into the deep sea. With settlement has come a new set of challenges, although their traditions and culture remain as strong as ever. Enigmatic Malaysia takes you into the heart of their unique lifestyle and customs. Take part in a traditional Bajau wedding, discover their unique boat building skills and witness a Bajau fishing skills to make the big catch. But their seemingly idyllic way of life masks harsh and tragic realities, not least the constant threat of piracy, high infant mortality rates and environmental destruction through illegal blast fishing. "Bajau Laut-Nomads of the Sea" will take you into a world rarely seen, and often misunderstood.