Understanding The Kite || Balinese Layang-Layang

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Two Weekends, Hundreds of Kites, Thousands of Villagers.

3 o’clock in the afternoon in Bali, Indonesia- look into the sky and what will you see? Kites. Why so many? Why are they always either black, red, white, or yellow? No other colors. What are they always the same shape?

These are just some of the questions I had.

The weekend of August 9th, 2019 and August 16th, 2019 was two different kite festivals held on the Sanur Beach in Bali, Indonesia. The first weekend was local, and the second was international.

I probably asked 30 different kite owners the reasoning behind their kite’s, colors, and size but I think most were scared that they would explain the traditions to me incorrectly. I didn’t find my interviewee for this video until a month after the festival. Eager to find someone who could answer all of my questions with honesty and specifics. Here are some of the specifics that didn’t make it into the documentary:

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Extra and interesting:

1 || Besides being a playful activity for children, kite-flying is an ancestral tradition for Balinese people.

2 || Kites were originally used to send messages to the gods and to implore for a bountiful harvest.

3 || People who fly kites are believed to be possessed and protected by natural elements.

4 || From beginning to end, the process of making a kite is blessed and ceremonies are held in its honor.

5 || The kite season lasts from July to the beginning of October depending on weather.

6 || The village Balians (local holy men and women) are consulted with before the village leaders start building. The Balians decide which days are most auspicious to start building a kite.

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Janggan is the longest kite as it can stretch longer than 100 meters.

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Quote from the documentary

“Besides bamboo, these days I also use materials like paper, cotton, and leaves to make it organic. To make environmentally safe kites.”

Kadek Dwi Armika, Kite Architect

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Read Into More Facts of the Film

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