综合一区欧美国产,99国产麻豆免费精品,九九精品黄色录像,亚洲激情青青草,久久亚洲熟妇熟,中文字幕av在线播放,国产一区二区卡,九九久久国产精品,久久精品视频免费

Can Star Wars pull Malaysian art form out of the shadows?

By Satish Chene ( Agencies ) Updated: 2015-12-19 11:01:17

Can Star Wars pull Malaysian art form out of the shadows?

Master puppeteer Muhammad Dain Othman (center) performs the "Star Wars-inspired wayang kulit", a traditional form of shadow puppetry at the Independence square in Kuala Lumpur.[Photo by Manan Vatsyayana/Agencies]

Darth Vader's distinctive helmet-headed silhouette swoops in to seize control of a spaceship, but this is not the movies-instead his movements are being brought to life by a Malaysian shadow-puppet master behind a backlit screen.

"Tell me, where are the plans that have been intercepted?," the puppeteer intones in the Malay language, drawing cheers from hundreds of spectators as they recognise Vader's baritone.

Traditional Indonesian and Malaysian shadow puppetry was once at the center of Southeast Asian art and culture, but has steadily lost its appeal.

But three Malaysians hope to breathe new life into the art by updating it with Star Wars and other pop-culture themes.

Leading the effort is Chuo Yuan Ping, a designer and Star Wars buff who first crafted shadow puppets based on the movie for an art exhibit a few years ago.

His research for the project uncovered concerns about the state of the art, which is known as wayang kulit.

"At first it was all about Stars Wars, but later I learnt how wayang kulit was a dying art form after speaking to many master puppeteers, and I felt sad," says Chuo, 43.

"All of us felt a responsibility to do more for this part of Malaysian culture."

Chuo, art director friend Teh Take Huat, and 63-year-old master puppeteer Muhammad Dain Othman have performed a section of the original 1977 Star Wars film as a shadow-play about a dozen times the past two years.

'Masterpiece' art form

Star Wars was chosen as the theme due to its near-universal appeal, as evidenced by the frenzy surrounding the December release of the latest big-screen instalment, Stars Wars: The Force Awakens.

"Even my mom knows Darth Vader," Chuo says.

Traditionally based on Hindu epics, shadow puppetry was introduced to the region in the 15th century and promoted by Java's Hindu rulers.

It seeped throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere as Muslim preachers used it as a way to spread Islam, the region's dominant religion today.

Puppeteers use sticks to orchestrate the movements of elaborately decorated leather puppets on a backlit cotton screen, and voice the characters, backed by a traditional gamelan percussion orchestra.

Wayang kulit is on UNESCO's list of "masterpiece" human art forms, but radio, TV, and now digital entertainment increasingly relegate the genre to tourist consumption or the odd cultural show.

Rising Islamism also has led to restrictions on the art in conservative areas of Malaysia, due to its Hindu themes.

At a recent performance in a Kuala Lumpur square, a miked-up, sarong-wearing Muhammad Dain worked his puppets while sitting cross-legged behind the screen.

Behind him, a young sound engineer used a laptop to make the puppeteer's voice more Vader-like, to replicate R2-D2's digital-beep mutterings, and to splash the screen with colorful lighting effects.

Previous Page 1 2 Next Page

Editor's Picks
Hot words

Most Popular
...
阿尔山市| 翼城县| 黄龙县| 大名县| 肃宁县| 丹棱县| 三河市| 德兴市| 弋阳县| 武川县| 南投市| 观塘区| 大埔县| 南汇区| 嵊泗县| 青铜峡市| 鞍山市| 沙河市| 德庆县| 枣强县| 亳州市| 龙州县| 大悟县| 德安县| 东阳市| 瑞安市| 梅州市| 驻马店市| 济源市| 涿州市| 宜宾县| 海门市| 河津市| 教育| 二手房| 桐乡市| 邳州市| 屏东县| 济阳县| 南郑县| 上蔡县|