In the lush jungles of Borneo, an Iban father on the cusp of old age begins a river journey to seek medical help for his sick child. Along the way, the boy is troubled by recurring visions of a strange figure who appears on the river bank. Their journey contrasts the vibrant otherworldly flora and fauna in the rain forest with the grey, foreboding mechanics of modern urban life, and father and son are drawn inexorably to a final encounter with the mythical 'transformed' shaman who dwells deep inside the jungle.

Semangat was made by working closely with one Iban longhouse community from Sarawak, Malaysia with whom the story was devised and filmed. The basis of the film explores the conflict that exists between ancient animist beliefs and modern approaches to illness. The main protagonists of the film are a real father and son, and a retired shaman from this community. flyingant.org.uk