简介：天堂无聊 丁荷生导演的记录片《天堂无聊》现出当代福建省莆田县元宵的各种民间宗教仪式。电影内容包括游神，建醮，与乩童的表演。这部记录片介绍当地的仪式的积极热闹状态。这一带的村庄正在经过一个非常彻地而特快的现代化变化。莆田的村庙系统对这些变化进行了一种很有意思的反应。文革期间村庙被裁掉，现在当地的村庙正在重建而村之间的仪式联盟正在回复。 《天堂无聊》借用莆田戏神田公元帅的神话故事来解释当代的宗教活动的活动力。田公元帅是玉皇大帝的第三个太子。他感觉天堂的生活非常官僚，很无聊。所以他想下凡参加人们的生活。他脱胎以后考到探花。到了朝廷，他帮助皇帝解决皇后病，皇帝给他大宴会。田公元帅喝醉，睡在内宫的楼梯，被公主发现。公主在他的红脸上画了黑螃蟹。第二天，玉皇大招他回天堂，可是无法洗脸。结果玉皇大帝把他开除，命他永远在戏台上重演他的故事。一直到先 日，莆田的戏班在演戏之前都要拜田公元帅，有时候也得先演他的故事，才可以演其它的戏。 田公元帅的故事教我们一个实事。我们都有我们的角色，我们都需要表演我们的故事。可见我们有一种选择，或者很开心的演，或着无所谓的过日子。通过这个神话，《天堂无聊》表现莆田村民怎么表演他们的地方民俗，他们的地方仪式传统，他们自我定义的，自我重新创造的地方文化。电影分成六部分：1）元宵；2）戏神的故事；3）游神；4）建醮；5）乩童；6）地方仪式。大家会看到文革以后的地方民间宗教的回复状况。 这部电影是丁荷生与郑振满教授们在莆田平原所进行的二十多年的田野调查的研究成果之一。两位教授合作二十多年，一起写了6本书，其中有RitualAlliancesofthePutianPlains,2vols.,Leiden:Brill,2010(莆田平原的仪式联盟，2册)。还有《福建宗教碑铭汇编：兴化分册》，福州：福建人民出版社2005。 Fujian,China,2010 “BoredinHeaven”followsNewYearscelebrationsinPutian,Fujian,SoutheastChina.Anexperientialprojectbasedon20yearsofresearchbyKennethDeanandZhengZhenman,thisfilmillustratesthegrowingintensityoflocaltraditions,asruralvillagesandtheirtemplestransitionintoanewcentury.VillagesinthispartofChinaareundergoingradicaltransformations.Aslandthatwasoncepublicandagriculturalisrebuiltandchangeshands,theintricatetemplesystemhasresponded.DuringtheCulturalRevolutiontemplesweretorndown—nowtheyarebeingbuiltupintoritualalliances. Filmedintwoweeks,ina400sqkmarea,seevibrantperformancesoflocalpower,massivecommunityprocessions,elaborateTaoistrituals,andtrancedancesbyspiritmediums,allperformingpartsoftheoverallritualinhonorofthegods.ThefilmbuildsonthestoryoftheTheaterGod.Hisstoryistoldinaritualperformance,byactors,operasingersandpuppeteers. TheTheaterGod,thirdsonoftheJadeEmperor,comestoearthdisguisedasahuman,andgrowstobecomeagreatscholar.Theemperorneedshishelp—theempresshasbeenattackedbythevectorsofdeathunleashedbyawarhestartedwithoutthegods’permission.Theonlysolutionisforhimtowearayokelikeaprisonerandbegtheirforgiveness.TheTheaterGodsuggeststhattheygetsomeoneelsetoweartheyokeandperformthepenance.Itworks!TheEmpressissavedandtheEmperorholdsabanquetinthepalace.TheTheatreGodgetsdrunk.Hisfaceturnsredandhefallsasleepinthepalacegarden.HeisfoundbythePrincess,whopaintshisfacewithcrabswhilehesnores.ThenextmorningheiswokenbyacalltocomebacktoHeaven.Hecannotwashthepaintfromhisface,andarrivesdisheveledandhungover.TheJadeEmperor,outragedbyhisimpropriety,refusestoallowhimbackintoheaven.Heiscondemnedtoperformthestoryofhisbanishmenteverytimeaplayisperformed.Butbanishmentisnotsobad.Lifeonearth,andespeciallylifeonstage,ismorefunthantheboredomoftheendlessbureaucracyinheaven.Thestoryofthegodoftheaterteachesusthatweallhaveourpartstoplay,andthatwealwayshaveachoice:delightintheperformance,orgothroughthepaces.ThecollectiveritualperformancesofthevillagesofthePutianareaduringChineseNewYearsshowusmanyofthewaysinwhichlocalpeople,youngandold,enthusiasticallycelebratetheirgodsandlocal culture. Thefilmisdividedintosixsections:ChineseNewYears,TheTheaterGod’sStory,Processions,TaoistRites,SpiritMediums,andTheRitual.Thefirstsectionsetsthecontemporarycontextinwhichtheseriteshavebeenre-inventedafteryearsofgovernmentsuppression.NextaritualplaytellsthestoryoftheGodofTheater.Inakaleidoscopicintroductiontothearea,watchfireworksexplode,communityprocessionswindlinkedlanternsaroundtheirvillagesborders,Taoistsleapovertables,andspiritmediumswalkovercoalsandsticktheirfacesinromancandles.Inthefinalsection,Taoistsanddemonsjoinforcestoprotectthevillagecommunity.Aninterviewwithanewgenerationofmediumshighlightstheemerginggeneration’sstrongtiestotraditionalrituals.Thegodshavereturnedandthetemplealliancesareback!…