Serama’s Mask (Bali)

Duration: 12:00

Year Published: 1979

Creator: Coronet (CORT)

Complete Record: Title shown in front of Balinese stone wall, intricately decorated with dragons and such. Figuring in elaborate Balinese mask comes out from behind wall. Shot of man singing. Masked figure dancing and spinning inter cut with old man singing and playing a drum. Longer shots show dancing takes place in the plaza of a Balinese stone structure. Figure removes headdress, is a young man. Cut to map of Indonesia, slowly zooming into Bali. Shot of two men carrying a gamelan. Various people walk around thatched roofed village. Hold man tunes gamelan. Man puts on the headdress and walks out from large stone doorway, dancing. Costume looks like scary monster with large claws. Old man instructs the dancer. Camera follows woman carrying bowls on head. Food platter given to group who eat hard boiled eggs. Woman eats rice from a leaf. Montage of historical looking photos of dancers, children in fancy regalia dance in the photos. Interior of bamboo structure with angel looking figure. Old man gives various mask to his student, they laugh. Young man shaves pieces away from large block of wood, cut to him playing gamelan. Young girls in Balinese dresses run through the street. Young girls learn to dance to the gamelan. Farmers work rice field, plowing with cows. Man in large hat herds ducks. Cut to young man dancing very with a very intense look on his face, very precise hand movements. Old man instructs while young boys watch. Old woman picks flowers for decorative object. Villages load into a van and drive through the jungle. Shot of large temple, woman carrying baskets on their head up the stairs. Several people involved in prayer ritual at the temple, sitting the the ground while incense burns. Shot of girls dancing in costume with fans, boys watch. The young man dons his headdress and dances for the crowd. Cut to man ringing bells in tower, large crowd of people walking through the street. Crowd carries various floats through the street. White photographers watch as the crowd loads a large cow effigy into a small structure and set them on fire Young man walks over stone bridge, crafts wooden mask with hammer and chisel. Cut to crowd watching shirtless men sitting and dancing, chanting and waving their hands. Figures in monkey masks take the stage, dance. Young man does more detailed work on the mask. Teacher inspects the mask. Student paints the mask. Several shots of people setting up and playing instruments while the old man dances. Young man walks with lantern to the beach. After a short prayer, he puts on his new mask and begins to dance in front of the sun rising over the ocean. Cut to crowd at temple stage again. The instruments are set up and girls dance. Masked figure dances while young man gets ready. Young man in new mask dances with his teacher for the crowd. After the performance, the two hug, smiling. Credits.