Island of the Spirits

Year Published: 1977

Creator: A Frank Heimans Production

Complete Record: Among the Hindus of Bali, cremation is thought to release the soul of the dead for its journey to Nirwana. The joyous and spectacular ceremony shown in this film is reserved for highborn princes today. Hugely costly, the preparations for the cremation of Prince Sudharsana include the building of fantastic effigies and a tower nine stories high. Eight hundred mean will carry the tower in procession through the hundred thousand celebrants. The body of his small granddaughter and the souls of twenty-seven dead villagers will accompany the Prince. At the close of this long and auspicious day when towers and effigies together with coffins, food, money and incense have long been consumed by the flames, when the crowds have departed, the ashes of the dead will be cast onto the sea. Only then will the newly liberated spirits rise unrestrained to join the heavenly soul of all the universe, Nirwana. Western tourists and others appear with SLR and motion picture cameras. In the crowd for the cremation are military people and Catholic nuns.