The Dalang’s Tale

The Dalang’s Tale is an animated short film about domestic violence with visuals inspired by Malaysian traditional wayang kulit or shadow puppets. Two stories intertwine: one of a workaholic father and his growing impatience with his young son as they make their way to watch a shadow puppet master or dalang’s show and the other of a man who dotes on his son but secretly inflicts acts of abuse on his wife before he disappears after a violent incident.

Irwan Junaidy (MY)
Irwan Junaidy graduated from the UK with an architectural degree and is the co-founder of The R&D Studio, an award-winning development studio based in Malaysia. He has a passion for telling stories and building make-believe worlds, particularly those that are inspired by the people, arts and cultures of South East Asia. He has directed two animated short films – BATIK GIRL (2018) and THE DALANG’S TALE (2021) that were official selections in over 40 international film festivals.