April 21, 2014
This film is based on the lives and daily routine of a Balinese Hindu priest and the members of his family. It only last a little over 27 minutes but has a number of comparisons of what we think the Balinese people should be doing and what is really going on in Bali. There is an image of a restaurant advertising Texas Barbeque at the same time there is a group of musicians singing an old Jewish folk song that means let us rejoice. A good song none the least, but not a Balinese classic. The Hindu priest is seen addressing the documentary maker in Hindu while chewing on a mouthful of Palm nuts. He is standing near an image of Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken Fame, someone who he greatly resembles. There are a number of images that represent products from the West that include Coca Cola signs, a Kodak film display and a fax machine. They also show images of a traditional Indonesian market and play the music of a Gamelan group. Numerous times throughout the film we see the image of a walking ice cream salesman pushing his cart and the image of a tour bus that just happens to have a guide that speaks English. The ending of the film shows the main character priest Ida Pedanda fishing in the ocean next to the Balinese International Airport while planes come and go as we here the song Deep in the Heart of Texas.
Growing up in America all of these pictured comparisons would seem normal to us, but seem out of place in a country that we expect to be not so technologically advanced. This just goes to show us that globalization has come to many parts of the world. The effect of the globalization is beginning to affect how Bali’s culture is evolving and growing, even if not for the better. It proves that the culture of the Balinese is on the move and not just sitting around waiting.
The filmmaker helps us to see that in everyday Bali life there are those who go on with their lives as the influence of the West grows around...