Film Baraka (Ron Fricke, 1992)

Tonight we saw Baraka, one of my all-time favorite films, as part of the Documentary Film Series at the Carrboro Century Center (where some classes that I teach are held). The unique film is a documentary with no dialogue but with stunning photography of how people around the world spend their time, focusing on cultural traditions.

The photography is stunning! This is the third time that I've seen the film, and each time on the big screen. I definitely want to continue to see it and be inspired by its amazing images!

The film is probably technically superior to the earlier (1983, directed by Godfrey Reggio) Koyaanisqatsi, another dialogue-less film that comes from a Hopi Indian word for "Life out of Balance", but Koyaanisqatsi gets the credit in my book for pioneering such a style of film, and remains, as well, one of my favorite films. It's part of a trilogy by Godfrey Reggio - I would love to see, on the big screen, the remaining two films, Powaqqatsi ("Life in Transformation", 1988) and Naqoyqatsi ("Life as War", 2002). Wikipedia has an interesting discussion of Koyaanisqatsi as well as of Baraka.