Ki Samidjan posing with his shadow puppets Betari Jaluwati, left, and Warya Bissunanda. Photo: Handout
In Indonesia, LGBT ‘wayang’ shadow puppets have a message of tolerance, without the sermon
- Samidjan, a master of shadow puppetry or wayang, has created transgender characters to push back against rising intolerance in the Muslim-majority country
- It’s a modern message, but the tradition – which dates back to the 11th century – has always aimed to both entertain and convey a moral message to its audience
Ki Samidjan posing with his shadow puppets Betari Jaluwati, left, and Warya Bissunanda. Photo: Handout