“TAKE THIS PAPAYA—it’s very sweet, from Penang Hill,” the vegetable seller handed me the fruit with a smile, her pride evident. As a regular visitor to the Air Itam morning market, I’ve heard this pitch countless times—vendors proudly proclaiming that their produce are grown on the Hill. But who are these people cultivating crops on the Hill instead of the flatland? How do they go about their lives? These questions were answered in “Echoes from the Hill”, a documentary aired in March 2025 at COEX@KilangBesi, Penang.
Hidden Stories
Directed by independent documentary filmmaker Andrew Ng Yew Han, “Echoes from the Hill” offers a glimpse into a lesser-seen side of Penang Hill. I had expected a nostalgic retelling of Penang Hill’s past, the kind of story that evokes colonial charm. However, as the documentary unfolds, it becomes clear that it is not what I thought it would be. The documentary shifts the focus away from stories of those with power and privilege to spotlight the “small voices” [1] of farmers who have cultivated the land for generations. For once, these ordinary farmers take centre stage.
Life On The Hills
Born out of a year-long research project supported by The Habitat Foundation, the documentary explores the agricultural practices and lives of farmers within the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve (PHBR). Through interviews, the research team uncovered the farmers’ histories, their struggles, adaptations and the changes they’ve faced over the years.
Conducting interviews with the farmers posed a unique challenge, as many spoke only Mandarin and Hokkien—languages unfamiliar to Andrew. The research team played a crucial role, facilitating the interviews and later meticulously transcribing and translating the footages to ensure the farmers’ voices are accurately captured and understood.
