Mar 09 2009
Bali Circa 1936
This is amazing footage from Bali circa 1936; though the title ‘Bali- Paradise Isle 1939’ indicates otherwise, the copyright date on the film itself is 1936. The description that accompanies the film on YouTube describes the film as ‘A tour of Bali and its religious traditions in 1936’ and this isn’t inaccurate but it fails to do justice to the entirety of the film.
You see the natives going about daily tasks, traveling to and from the market, the throngs of people there, a procession of ducks, preliminaries to a cock fight, religious observances, feeding the monkeys, even an example of the Legong dance is part of this little documentary.
There is no background music though reference is made in the subtitles to ‘the weird music of the gamelan’. A great many of the natives in this film, men and women alike, are bare breasted. But at the end you have an idea of daily life in Bali at that time and place in history.
Really it is nothing short of fascinating! Kasi recommends to the ‘aficionado’ for historical perspective and to curiosity seekers for their curiosity and to other surfers for a window to a different time and place.
