A Life in Shadows

A film by Edward A. Burger

a Commonfolk Films Production / 2014 / filmed in Shaanxi Province, China / 57 minutes / 2K / Stereo / 16:9 / Mandarin w/ English subtitles

A LIFE IN SHADOWS is an early work by filmmaker Edward A. Burger. Filmed in 2005 in a small hilltop hamlet in Shaanxi Province, this documentary is a living portrait of a centuries-old rural folk-art struggling to find its place in a modern China. A troupe of storytellers, musicians and puppeteers perform shadow puppet theater throughout the night; celebrating special occasions, appeasing ghosts and sending thanks to wish-granting spirits. Farmers by day, these skilled artists wash their hands at nightfall to take their place upon the stage of China’s history and heritage. The filmmaker takes us into this world of shadows with a storybook narrative and intimate encounters with artists, artisans and collectors who love and live this ancient art.

 

To learn more about Chinese Shadow Puppetry: