This film is neither a traditional documentary nor a traditional narrative work. Consisting entirely of found footage shot in Indonesia between 1912 and 1932, the Dutch director combines birdcalls, Indonesian poems, Gamelan hymns, and non-diegetic sound as a dynamic filter for the stream of images. What you see is a society on the verge. Industrialism is at play. But so is nativism. The Dutch colonial presence is shown with all its inherent displacements, violence and cultural disconnects, but the director never wields a heavy or pedantic hand. Instead, history, with the epic force of 60 - 80 years of hindsight, is displayed as both inevitable and fungible. The persistent specter of technology haunts the film. But as specific as it is to the Dutch-Indonesian colonial relationship, it feels much more universal. We witness the introductions of medicines as well as machines. Lepers and malaria victims are shown alongside factory workers. But, once again, the director isn't making simple juxtapositions. He also shows the bucolic countryside and rivers, as well as local dances, opium smokers, sunsets by the ocean, and ridiculous state ceremonies. This film is the opposite of didactic. The larger story has something to do with Mother Dao. Really, that's as much as should or could be said. I am reminded of Wiseman's non-narrated documentaries, but what sets Mother Dao apart is its very constructed sound. With the images carrying their received impact of history, the subtle and superb use of sound is what ultimately carries the film. Still, at least four or five sequence will burn into your memory forever. No need to list them, you'll know when they appear. This is a very slow-moving film. Do not watch when sleepy. I fell asleep the first four times I saw this film, but I never tire of seeing it. Please, Zeitgeist, release this on DVD. It is one of cinema's great achievements.