Gods Of Bali

Prepared under the supervision of Robert Snyder

Assisted by Allegra Snyder

Written by Sidney Carroll

Director of Photography: Nikola Drakulic

Assistant Photographers: Theo Maier, I Made Sukengadje and Jan Van Der Kolk

Film Edited by Ken Cofod

Original Music Arranger: Jaap Kunst

Sound: Bert Peterson

Print courtesy of Allegra Fuller Snyder

The footage for GODS OF BALI was shot in the late 1930s or early 1940s by filmmaker Nikola Drakulic. In 1952, the famed documentarian Robert Snyder, writer Sidney Carroll and dance historian Allegra Fuller Snyder prepared an entirely new version for American release. A vital record on Balinese culture, GODS OF BALI fell out of distribution for many years until this current DVD release with LEGONG: DANCE OF THE VIRGINS.

The colorful traditions and daily life of the Balinese are dominated by their love of dance. Each day, a festival takes place somewhere on the island thanking one of the three supreme deities: earth, water and fire. In northern Bali, children learn the art of worship, including elaborate costumes, makeup and exacting dance routines, aided by the gamelan musicians. A puppet show tells a story of a god’s triumph over a demon. In villages in Gianyar, the water deity is worshipped with a procession, artistic arrangements of food and, as always, dancing. When one boy celebrates his coming of age, a ritual includes having his teeth filed and a feast. In Singapadu, they perform the Barong dance depicting the story of Randa the witch, after which an eight-year-old girl, chosen for her beauty and psychic powers, enters a trance during which the Blue Lotus goddess takes over her body. Lastly, there is a cremation ceremony where Balinese rejoice in the knowledge that their dead relatives have moved on to a greater, spiritual plane. They create intricate coffins for the corpses, which are kicked repeatedly to show scorn for the leftover shell after the soul has left it. The coffins are then burned, with any remnants washed in the sea, wrapped and placed on an altar. The people dance, knowing that the departed souls have found a home even more flawless than Bali.