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Others argue that it first appeared in the reign of King Pagan as late as the 19th century, when it was played for royal audiences by attendants who tucked up their longyis to display the elegant legwork of the game. 

The game soon became popular among commoners, who would play it in the cool of the evenings or in the shade of the trees.

The only parallel to chinlone in the Western world of competitive sports is perhaps figure skating. They both demand great agility, balance, skill and chemistry between the players. Both are performed to music and qualify as artistic expressions in their own right. Chinlone is accompanied by intense Burmese music, played live next to the performers—Hamilton says the musicians “accent the play.”

As with many other elements of Burmese culture, chinlone was fervently promoted as a symbol of nationalism in colonial Burma (1885-1948). In 1918, the first chinlone referee training courses were organized, as chinlone clubs sprang up all over Burma. 

Chinlone became the country’s national game in independent Burma. In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Burma Amateur Chinlone Association promoted chinlone in Europe and at home. 

Those who argue that the film ignores the political aspect of Burma should be reminded that “Mystic Ball” is subtly urging the world, not just the Burmese people, to embrace the chinlone spirit of cooperation, reciprocity and democracy.

Hamilton’s documentary is not just about chinlone.  It is about the soul-searching journey of a marginalized Western boy. His physical quest to master the art of chinlone became more and more spiritual at each stage of his 20-year journey, which included eight years of moviemaking. 

The film’s Burmese characters, all chinlone masters and players, surround and encourage their enthusiastic foreign student. The picturesque scenes shot at Mahamuni Waso festivals in Mandalay, where Burma’s biggest annual chinlone exhibitions take place, will bring tears to the eyes of any Burmese viewers who live abroad.

The film’s glimpse into the life of young chinlone virtuoso Su Su Hlaing, who supports her family with the money she earns from performing an amazing solo act, illustrates the strength of Burmese women.

Mister Greg, as he is now known in Burmese chinlone circles, is also an accomplished flutist. His arrangement of the film’s background music is a brilliant patchwork of mild and mellow pop tunes and sometimes exciting, sometimes melancholic Burmese melodies. The film’s excellent editing and cinematography need no further praise. The many awards it has won at international film festivals are well deserved.

Hamilton ends his film by saying he has a ‘‘dream of taking the players on tour and spreading chinlone around the world.’’  With “Mystic Ball,” he has achieved what most moviemakers aim to produce—a spiritually and visually inspiring film. What’s more, he has done a great service for Burmese culture.

Ko Ko Thett is a Burmese researcher who studies world politics at the University of Helsinki.