Filmed on location, four beloved stories of India, Indonesia, Korea and Japan are told through the masterpieces of visual art and the stirring performances these tales have inspired for centuries.
"The Ramayana," the epic adventures of India's legendary hero, are illustrated with Indian paintings, Indonesian sculpture, Japanese shadow play and dramatic reenactments. In the "Korean Masked Dance Drama," told by actors wearing audaciously conceived masks, social satire is "masked" by bold humor and comic dance. "Gita Govinda," India's great erotic poem is interpreted by a beautiful dancer and celebrated in lyrical painted images. "The Tale of Genji," the amorous adventures of Prince Genji are told by a Japanese woman in period costume, as colorful paintings from scrolls and screens illustrate Japan's most famous romantic novel.
Combining the visual arts with performance in a new and original format, "Great Tales in Asian Art" is an imaginative and entertaining introduction to the art of Asia.
"...quite simply the finest program on Asian art that I have ever seen." -Maxwell K. Hearn, Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art