Shadow Puppets Beneath the Moon

Traditional Chinese shadow puppet theater (piying), intricately carved jointed leather silhouettes on a translucent silk screen, warm amber lamp glow. A graceful female silhouette in flowing layered robes swallows a glowing elixir pearl; her robes unfurl into long rippling ribbon shapes as she lifts off the ground and floats upward past stylized swirling clouds; a round luminous full moon fills the upper screen; she drifts onto it and a small jade rabbit silhouette hops to her side; the two sit together as the moonlight washes the whole screen silver-blue. Camera: slow tilt-up following her ascent, ending framed on the moon. Audio: ethereal guzheng glissando rising with her flight, a soft choir-like hum as the moon brightens, one delicate chime as the rabbit appears. Crisp jointed leather silhouettes, flowing silk-robe shapes, woven screen texture, no realistic faces, no text at all.