Shadow Master (1979)

• 81%
• 1979
• Documentary
• Larry Reed

Shadow Master is a dramatic documentary about a family of performers in Bali. The film is an inside view of Balinese life which reveals the cultural context of theater, music, and dance on the island. The film is a dramatization of events which occurred during the filming process and during the two years the director, Larry Reed, spent living and studying with 'dalang' (shadow master) and his extended family. The dalang's daughter as she remembers the summer before she left home, and the boy she left behind. He is an apprentice to her father and wants to become the shadow master for his generation. By contrast, his brother wants girls, motorcycles, and money. The film follows the two brothers as each attempts to realize his dream.