Great Ceremony to Straighten the World

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Culture, Arts Documentary directed by Jann Pasler and published by Berkeley Media in 1994 - English narration

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Caught between the seduction of prosperity and the threat of cultural disintegration, the people of Bali engage in ceremonies. Through them, the Balinese attempt to maintain balance with God, nature, and one another, and also to turn the recent prosperity from the booming tourist trade into a way of invigorating their culture.

This insightful documentary depicts one of Bali's most important ceremonies, one not enacted for nearly 100 years. The ceremony addresses a modern world gone seriously out of balance; it is also meant to remind the Balinese of their history and to engage them in its re-enactment.

The video captures highlights of the ceremony while Balinese of varying backgrounds comment on its religious, environmental, cultural, and political meaning. The video will stimulate discussion and analysis in courses in cultural anthropology, religion, Asian and Balinese studies, and ethnomusicology. It was produced, written and directed by Jann Pasler, Professor of Music at University of California, San Diego.

"A wonderfully sensitive, thoughtful, and respectful observation of a rare event. Raises timely issues concerning the tensions between the commercial and the spiritual, the modern and the traditional, the observer and the observed." -- Gordon Chang, Professor of East Asian Studies, Stanford University