6 ms·

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance

85 points by 0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago

eterm 13y ago
I haven't seen the film, but the sound track is a classic by Phillip Glass, part of which (Pruit Igoe) was used on the GTA IV radio/soundtrack.
- abruzzi 13y ago
  the Pruit Igoe music has been repurposed for a number of other films. You will hear it a lot in the Watchmen adaptation. Also visually, this film basically invented the city-as-a-circuit-board visual metaphor.
  - zorked 13y ago
    "She drove into San Narciso on a Sunday, in a rented Impala. Nothing was happening. She looked down a slope, needing to squint for the sunlight, onto a vast sprawl of houses which had grown up all together, like a well-tended crop, from the dull brown earth; and she thought of the time she'd opened a transistor radio to replace a battery and seen her first printed circuit. The ordered swirl of houses and streets, from this high angle, sprang at her now with the same unexpected, astonishing clarity as the circuit card had. (...)" From Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, 1966
    - abruzzi 13y ago
      Which I've read many times, but nonetheless, the imagery of highways shot at slow frame rates with long exposures creating a visual metaphor similar to a circuit, used many times in later works (even commercials) originated here.
parski 13y ago
Ron Fricke was involved in the making of this film. I whole heartedly recommend his two films Baraka and the more recent Samsara. The latter is the most stunning film I have ever seen and I recommend that everyone should see it. It is absolutely amazing! Baraka is fantastic too.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
colinbartlett 13y ago
The entire trilogy is fantastic: Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi.
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
  I posted this in response to Life is a game, this is your strategy guide https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7182636 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7182636, so people could see the headlines together. Did you notice that? Life is more complicated than a game.
- debt 13y ago
  I never understood Naqoyqatsi. We're at war with ourselves? The imagery didn't match up with the premise. I was expecting more actual war, but the movie seems to suggest technology causes us to be at war with ourselves, literally me fighting myself. Great trilogy.
joeevans 13y ago
and he just released a new film last week, after years working on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/movies/godfrey-reggios-visitors-is-a-slow-parade-of-faces.html http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/movies/godfrey-reggios-vis...
RRRA 13y ago
You might want to check out Ron Fricke's movies, they are a splendid window into human's life and their relation to this planet. Specifically Baraka which is to my taste his best, but also Samsara and Chronos.
AndrewGreen 13y ago
This was one of the few titles available on CAV laser disc in 1990 -- I watched it over and over in the course of working on MediaMaker, but for some reason I didn't discover the title till stumbling across it online a couple of years ago.
stevewilhelm 13y ago
No, no, no. Don't watch it on Hulu. Experience the Criterion Collection Qatsi Trilogy Blu-ray [1] instead. Then share it with friends and family, and eventually donate it to your local public library. Win, win, win. [1] http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/934-the-qatsi-trilogy http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/934-the-qatsi-trilogy
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
  But hulu has ads. In the middle of a geico commercial, if you listen closely, you can hear someone chanting koyaanisqatsi.
  - hablahaha 13y ago
    Since you brought it up... Hulu has some of the worst ads I've ever seen. In my geographic region I have to suffer through upwards of three Cricket Mobile ads in an hour long program and they are the WORST. The Geico commercials are pretty bad too - I have a friend who likes them, but he's a cheese ball.
- gcb0 13y ago
  i agree streaming this is bad since it is all about the image. it is like seeing a painting in jpg. but im not so sure about supporting blueray either...
petercooper 13y ago
Koyaanisqatsi is my favorite movie. I saw a part of it while skipping channels on late night TV about 10 years ago and had my mind blown. I've since seen it a ton of times, including live with Philip Glass's "Ensemble". Big thumbs up. Startup types might enjoy much of the San Francisco footage, including the long gone double decker Embarcadero Freeway. It's amazing how many references (subtle or not) to Koyaanisqatsi you see in other movies or even commercials that ape its style. My favorite, however, has to be The Simpsons' Koyaani-SCRATCHY: https://vimeo.com/21283911 https://vimeo.com/21283911 :-)
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
  Okay, I agree it's memorable, but favorite? 10 years ago you weren't even watching it like it's supposed to be watched on laser disk or blu-ray. Thanks for Koyaani-SCRATCHY I think :-).
  - mmastrac 13y ago
    I think we all just take HD for granted these days. Back then everyone was watching everything in SD and we just didn't know any better.
    - petercooper 13y ago
      I'm considering downgrading my HD cable to standard to save $15/month. I mean I can see the difference but it's a bit of a meh difference to me. But then I did spend 20+ years with standard and the quality of the shows themselves was even higher back then ;-)
  - ctdonath 13y ago
    Yes, favorite. It was supposed to be watched on theater projected 35mm film, which I've seen at least twice. It's like reading a beat-up cheap paperback copy of The Lord of the Rings and liking it so much you insist your friends buy it as premium leather-bound gold-trim volumes. How it's presented is interesting, but what's important is how the content gets in your head and rattles your soul.
51Cards 13y ago
I have been watching this since I could catch it as a teenager on SuperChannel in the early 80's. The entire trilogy are still among my favourite films.
the-kenny 13y ago
Please not that Hulu has stupid georestrictions. Please think of the people outside US.
uses 13y ago
This is a film which, if you watch it all the way through and don't let your brain argue with what you're seeing, will help you think about the earth and what people are and what they're trying to do, and other things that are hard to describe.
- xutopia 13y ago
  It's one of those movies that take on whatever theme you feel is appropriate. It made me think of the scale of human achievement, how we move so much from place to place, how we build, pollute and destroy, how we care for others around us but know so little about the people we cross every day on our daily commute. It's like being high without taking any drugs really.
dangle 13y ago
Which ad do you prefer?
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
  The radio shack ad where the 80s calls and wants their store back.
ca98am79 13y ago
From movie critic Leonard Malton: (4-stars, highest rating) "Spellbinding, senses-staggering nonnarrative film soars across the United States in search of vistas both natural and man-made. Much of the photography is slow-motion or time-lapse (the title is Hopi Indian for "life out of balance"), all of it set to a mesmerizing score by Philip Glass. So rich in beauty and detail that with each viewing it becomes a new and different film. Should be seen in a theatre for maximum impact. Followed by POWAQQATSI and NAQOYQATSI"
troystribling 13y ago
A recent interview with Godfrey Reggio (the director of Koyaanisqatsi), http://www.singularityweblog.com/godfrey-reggio-koyaanisqatsi/ http://www.singularityweblog.com/godfrey-reggio-koyaanisqats...
childoftv 13y ago
In my mind this work is the GEB of video. And its themes are related. Seen the movie approx 20 times. For me it's the most successful work of minimalist music ever, the best music to footage match I've seen (Danny Elfman does pretty well too I guess) and a deeply important view of earth, life and humanity that invites you to transcend your individualism and individualistic vantage point for a short while. Brian Eno, speaking at the long now foundation recently, referred to long term patterns in human life as 'the cycles of time' vs 'the arrow of progress' and there is absolutely no movie that better shows this odd meta-pattern on Earth of cycles and lines combining, sometimes very obviously and sometimes more subtly. Watch it anywhere but watch it without ads [turn off your phone, get over your worry about being bored and see if your mind won't tune in]
madaxe_again 13y ago
If you liked Koyaanisqatsi, you'll love Baraka [1] and Samsara [2], both also Ron Fricke. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film)
80 13y ago
Man With A Movie Camera and Sans Soleil are two good ones in a similar vein (better, I think)
twocommas 13y ago
One of my favorite films when I was younger. I discovered the music composers Phillip Glass and subsequently Steve Reich through the films. Many documentaries and media productions play on the audio visual styles Reggio popularized in the film. It's interesting how often I detect sqatsi-ism in modern film (1). Just a couple days ago while watching "Home" I felt it's presence (2). Koyaanisqatsi was the first of a trilogy of films: Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisqatsi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirH8PADDgQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirH8PADDgQ Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powaqqatsi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powaqqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNVTmWRcUbY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNVTmWRcUbY Naqoyqatsi: Life as War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqoyqatsi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqoyqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PxT3MtTedw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PxT3MtTedw The films creator, Godfrey Reggio has recently created a new work: Visitors: 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitors_(2013_film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitors_(2013_film) Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ZwYJI55Rs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ZwYJI55Rs The original cinematographer for Koyaanisqatsi, Ron Fricke, went on to produce similar styles of films: Samsara: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) Baraka: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) Chronos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos_(film) Phillip Glass: Music Composer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Glass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Glass Sample of Phillip Glass's music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkof3nPK--Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkof3nPK--Y Steve Reich: Music Composer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Reich http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Reich Sample of Steve Reich's music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU23LqQ6LY4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU23LqQ6LY4 --- (1) Sqatsi-ism: Made up word to describe the type of audio visual style created and popularized in the original film, which can now be seen throughout media. (2) Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU. Interesting fact, the narrator of the film sounds almost identical to the woman in Phillip Glass's song "Einstein on the Beach Play 5", which was created back when he did the score for Koyaanisqatsi. Play 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmX_GgozpQs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmX_GgozpQs. Note: If you enjoy documentaries TrueFilms a great resources to discover new titles you may not have seen before: http://truefilms.com http://truefilms.com. In fact, many of the titles listed above are on this list.
joeframbach 13y ago
Hulu cannot do this film justice. This film deserves to be watched in the highest quality medium available, no interruptions.
cecinepasunoeuf 13y ago
I'm surprised to see this posted on HN. If you're interested in this genre of film, I happen to have just uploaded a video in a similar style which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYAVkuBxZ_Q&hd=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYAVkuBxZ_Q&hd=1 My brother shot the footage while traveling the world, I edited, and music is by 'Jupi/ter' on Soundcloud. The production value may not be as high as Koyaanisqatsi, but it wont' cost you anything but your time. Currently it's restricted to 30fps by Youtube, but I'm going to try iron out a few technical problems and upload a 60fps torrent version later.
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
  I'm surprised it got so far on hn too. Thank you for the video. I didn't realize this was a style, so I'm excited to see it.
  - cecinepasunoeuf 13y ago
    Thanks for watching if you get a chance. Glad to hear your feedback too. :)
zwieback 13y ago
I grew up in Stuttgart where some of Philip Glass' operas had their premiere. Absolutely awesome experience.
synesso 13y ago
Baraka and Samsara beat this movie hands down. I know this is sacrilegious, but that Philip Glass soundtrack is awful.
- melloclello 13y ago
  Booooo
danbmil99 13y ago
Best. Fucking. Movie. Ever.
picklestime 13y ago
I remember seeing this at a repertory theatre about 15 years ago and having my mind blown. Yes Baraka and Samsara are both beautiful but IMO they lack the cohesiveness of Koyaanisqatsi, especially considering the interplay of music + images. I echo the others who say that watching this with ads is a terrible idea. It completely kills the flow of it. I can't think of a worse movie to have interrupted by ads. If you can, watch it any other way.

eterm 13y ago

I haven't seen the film, but the sound track is a classic by Phillip Glass, part of which (Pruit Igoe) was used on the GTA IV radio/soundtrack.

abruzzi 13y ago
the Pruit Igoe music has been repurposed for a number of other films. You will hear it a lot in the Watchmen adaptation. Also visually, this film basically invented the city-as-a-circuit-board visual metaphor.
- zorked 13y ago
  "She drove into San Narciso on a Sunday, in a rented Impala. Nothing was happening. She looked down a slope, needing to squint for the sunlight, onto a vast sprawl of houses which had grown up all together, like a well-tended crop, from the dull brown earth; and she thought of the time she'd opened a transistor radio to replace a battery and seen her first printed circuit. The ordered swirl of houses and streets, from this high angle, sprang at her now with the same unexpected, astonishing clarity as the circuit card had. (...)" From Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, 1966
  - abruzzi 13y ago
    Which I've read many times, but nonetheless, the imagery of highways shot at slow frame rates with long exposures creating a visual metaphor similar to a circuit, used many times in later works (even commercials) originated here.

parski 13y ago

Ron Fricke was involved in the making of this film. I whole heartedly recommend his two films Baraka and the more recent Samsara. The latter is the most stunning film I have ever seen and I recommend that everyone should see it. It is absolutely amazing! Baraka is fantastic too.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

colinbartlett 13y ago

The entire trilogy is fantastic: Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi.

0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
I posted this in response to Life is a game, this is your strategy guide https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7182636 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7182636, so people could see the headlines together. Did you notice that? Life is more complicated than a game.
debt 13y ago
I never understood Naqoyqatsi. We're at war with ourselves? The imagery didn't match up with the premise. I was expecting more actual war, but the movie seems to suggest technology causes us to be at war with ourselves, literally me fighting myself. Great trilogy.

joeevans 13y ago

and he just released a new film last week, after years working on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/movies/godfrey-reggios-visitors-is-a-slow-parade-of-faces.html http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/movies/godfrey-reggios-vis...

RRRA 13y ago

You might want to check out Ron Fricke's movies, they are a splendid window into human's life and their relation to this planet. Specifically Baraka which is to my taste his best, but also Samsara and Chronos.

AndrewGreen 13y ago

This was one of the few titles available on CAV laser disc in 1990 -- I watched it over and over in the course of working on MediaMaker, but for some reason I didn't discover the title till stumbling across it online a couple of years ago.

stevewilhelm 13y ago

No, no, no. Don't watch it on Hulu. Experience the Criterion Collection Qatsi Trilogy Blu-ray [1] instead. Then share it with friends and family, and eventually donate it to your local public library. Win, win, win. [1] http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/934-the-qatsi-trilogy http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/934-the-qatsi-trilogy

0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
But hulu has ads. In the middle of a geico commercial, if you listen closely, you can hear someone chanting koyaanisqatsi.
- hablahaha 13y ago
  Since you brought it up... Hulu has some of the worst ads I've ever seen. In my geographic region I have to suffer through upwards of three Cricket Mobile ads in an hour long program and they are the WORST. The Geico commercials are pretty bad too - I have a friend who likes them, but he's a cheese ball.
gcb0 13y ago
i agree streaming this is bad since it is all about the image. it is like seeing a painting in jpg. but im not so sure about supporting blueray either...

petercooper 13y ago

Koyaanisqatsi is my favorite movie. I saw a part of it while skipping channels on late night TV about 10 years ago and had my mind blown. I've since seen it a ton of times, including live with Philip Glass's "Ensemble". Big thumbs up. Startup types might enjoy much of the San Francisco footage, including the long gone double decker Embarcadero Freeway. It's amazing how many references (subtle or not) to Koyaanisqatsi you see in other movies or even commercials that ape its style. My favorite, however, has to be The Simpsons' Koyaani-SCRATCHY: https://vimeo.com/21283911 https://vimeo.com/21283911 :-)

0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
Okay, I agree it's memorable, but favorite? 10 years ago you weren't even watching it like it's supposed to be watched on laser disk or blu-ray. Thanks for Koyaani-SCRATCHY I think :-).
- mmastrac 13y ago
  I think we all just take HD for granted these days. Back then everyone was watching everything in SD and we just didn't know any better.
  - petercooper 13y ago
    I'm considering downgrading my HD cable to standard to save $15/month. I mean I can see the difference but it's a bit of a meh difference to me. But then I did spend 20+ years with standard and the quality of the shows themselves was even higher back then ;-)
- ctdonath 13y ago
  Yes, favorite. It was supposed to be watched on theater projected 35mm film, which I've seen at least twice. It's like reading a beat-up cheap paperback copy of The Lord of the Rings and liking it so much you insist your friends buy it as premium leather-bound gold-trim volumes. How it's presented is interesting, but what's important is how the content gets in your head and rattles your soul.

51Cards 13y ago

I have been watching this since I could catch it as a teenager on SuperChannel in the early 80's. The entire trilogy are still among my favourite films.

the-kenny 13y ago

Please not that Hulu has stupid georestrictions. Please think of the people outside US.

uses 13y ago

This is a film which, if you watch it all the way through and don't let your brain argue with what you're seeing, will help you think about the earth and what people are and what they're trying to do, and other things that are hard to describe.

xutopia 13y ago
It's one of those movies that take on whatever theme you feel is appropriate. It made me think of the scale of human achievement, how we move so much from place to place, how we build, pollute and destroy, how we care for others around us but know so little about the people we cross every day on our daily commute. It's like being high without taking any drugs really.

dangle 13y ago

Which ad do you prefer?

0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
The radio shack ad where the 80s calls and wants their store back.

ca98am79 13y ago

From movie critic Leonard Malton: (4-stars, highest rating) "Spellbinding, senses-staggering nonnarrative film soars across the United States in search of vistas both natural and man-made. Much of the photography is slow-motion or time-lapse (the title is Hopi Indian for "life out of balance"), all of it set to a mesmerizing score by Philip Glass. So rich in beauty and detail that with each viewing it becomes a new and different film. Should be seen in a theatre for maximum impact. Followed by POWAQQATSI and NAQOYQATSI"

troystribling 13y ago

A recent interview with Godfrey Reggio (the director of Koyaanisqatsi), http://www.singularityweblog.com/godfrey-reggio-koyaanisqatsi/ http://www.singularityweblog.com/godfrey-reggio-koyaanisqats...

childoftv 13y ago

In my mind this work is the GEB of video. And its themes are related. Seen the movie approx 20 times. For me it's the most successful work of minimalist music ever, the best music to footage match I've seen (Danny Elfman does pretty well too I guess) and a deeply important view of earth, life and humanity that invites you to transcend your individualism and individualistic vantage point for a short while. Brian Eno, speaking at the long now foundation recently, referred to long term patterns in human life as 'the cycles of time' vs 'the arrow of progress' and there is absolutely no movie that better shows this odd meta-pattern on Earth of cycles and lines combining, sometimes very obviously and sometimes more subtly. Watch it anywhere but watch it without ads [turn off your phone, get over your worry about being bored and see if your mind won't tune in]

madaxe_again 13y ago

If you liked Koyaanisqatsi, you'll love Baraka [1] and Samsara [2], both also Ron Fricke. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film)

80 13y ago

Man With A Movie Camera and Sans Soleil are two good ones in a similar vein (better, I think)

twocommas 13y ago

One of my favorite films when I was younger. I discovered the music composers Phillip Glass and subsequently Steve Reich through the films. Many documentaries and media productions play on the audio visual styles Reggio popularized in the film. It's interesting how often I detect sqatsi-ism in modern film (1). Just a couple days ago while watching "Home" I felt it's presence (2). Koyaanisqatsi was the first of a trilogy of films: Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisqatsi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirH8PADDgQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirH8PADDgQ Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powaqqatsi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powaqqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNVTmWRcUbY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNVTmWRcUbY Naqoyqatsi: Life as War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqoyqatsi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqoyqatsi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PxT3MtTedw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PxT3MtTedw The films creator, Godfrey Reggio has recently created a new work: Visitors: 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitors_(2013_film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitors_(2013_film) Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ZwYJI55Rs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ZwYJI55Rs The original cinematographer for Koyaanisqatsi, Ron Fricke, went on to produce similar styles of films: Samsara: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(2011_film) Baraka: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(film) Chronos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos_(film) Phillip Glass: Music Composer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Glass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Glass Sample of Phillip Glass's music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkof3nPK--Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkof3nPK--Y Steve Reich: Music Composer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Reich http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Reich Sample of Steve Reich's music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU23LqQ6LY4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU23LqQ6LY4 --- (1) Sqatsi-ism: Made up word to describe the type of audio visual style created and popularized in the original film, which can now be seen throughout media. (2) Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU. Interesting fact, the narrator of the film sounds almost identical to the woman in Phillip Glass's song "Einstein on the Beach Play 5", which was created back when he did the score for Koyaanisqatsi. Play 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmX_GgozpQs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmX_GgozpQs. Note: If you enjoy documentaries TrueFilms a great resources to discover new titles you may not have seen before: http://truefilms.com http://truefilms.com. In fact, many of the titles listed above are on this list.

joeframbach 13y ago

Hulu cannot do this film justice. This film deserves to be watched in the highest quality medium available, no interruptions.

cecinepasunoeuf 13y ago

I'm surprised to see this posted on HN. If you're interested in this genre of film, I happen to have just uploaded a video in a similar style which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYAVkuBxZ_Q&hd=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYAVkuBxZ_Q&hd=1 My brother shot the footage while traveling the world, I edited, and music is by 'Jupi/ter' on Soundcloud. The production value may not be as high as Koyaanisqatsi, but it wont' cost you anything but your time. Currently it's restricted to 30fps by Youtube, but I'm going to try iron out a few technical problems and upload a 60fps torrent version later.

0xdeadbeefbabe 13y ago
I'm surprised it got so far on hn too. Thank you for the video. I didn't realize this was a style, so I'm excited to see it.
- cecinepasunoeuf 13y ago
  Thanks for watching if you get a chance. Glad to hear your feedback too. :)

zwieback 13y ago

I grew up in Stuttgart where some of Philip Glass' operas had their premiere. Absolutely awesome experience.

synesso 13y ago

Baraka and Samsara beat this movie hands down. I know this is sacrilegious, but that Philip Glass soundtrack is awful.

melloclello 13y ago
Booooo

danbmil99 13y ago

Best. Fucking. Movie. Ever.

picklestime 13y ago

I remember seeing this at a repertory theatre about 15 years ago and having my mind blown. Yes Baraka and Samsara are both beautiful but IMO they lack the cohesiveness of Koyaanisqatsi, especially considering the interplay of music + images. I echo the others who say that watching this with ads is a terrible idea. It completely kills the flow of it. I can't think of a worse movie to have interrupted by ads. If you can, watch it any other way.