The Sorceress of Dirah
The Sorceress of Dirah is an experimental performance event of Balinese dances and legends, developed by the Javanese performance artist and choreographer, Sardono W. Kusuma, and restaged over many years, working with a group in the village of Teges in Bali. Presented widely in Europe and the USA in the mid-1970s, a film version of The Sorceress of Dirah was filmed in 35mm colour by Sardono working in Bali in 1992 with American cinematographer/ director Bob Chappell. Sardono uses a voice-over in English to introduce the various stages of his drama, but does not subtitle the incantations and utterances of the participants, in order to subject the audience to the full impact of his drama, wherein language is subordinate to the hypnotic, near hallucinatory, and at times frenzied, spell of the images.
- Overview
- Crew
The Sorceress of Dirah
- Overview
- Crew
Status
Released
Release Date
Apr 18, 1992
Runtime
0h 41m
Genres
Documentary
Original Title
The Sorceress of Dirah
Director
Sardono W. Kusumo
Description
The Sorceress of Dirah is an experimental performance event of Balinese dances and legends, developed by the Javanese performance artist and choreographer, Sardono W. Kusuma, and restaged over many years, working with a group in the village of Teges in Bali. Presented widely in Europe and the USA in the mid-1970s, a film version of The Sorceress of Dirah was filmed in 35mm colour by Sardono working in Bali in 1992 with American cinematographer/ director Bob Chappell. Sardono uses a voice-over in English to introduce the various stages of his drama, but does not subtitle the incantations and utterances of the participants, in order to subject the audience to the full impact of his drama, wherein language is subordinate to the hypnotic, near hallucinatory, and at times frenzied, spell of the images.
