A wordless summation of our art, history, culture, lifestyle & experience in a world of wonders, Samsara is a richly layered, finely textured & deeply spiritual documentary that invites the audience on a journey of the soul, and overwhelms their senses with its immaculate blend of breathtaking imagery & soulful soundtrack.
Filmed in 70 mm format and shot in 25 countries spanning 5 continents, the picture combines visual & aural elements into a transcendent piece that's as resonant as it is rhythmic and lets the images guide the flow instead of relying on verbal narration. It took the filmmakers 5 years to finish the project but in the end, it is worth the wait.
The camera employs photography techniques ranging from time-lapse to slow-mo, gathering images from the most obscure locations to the most recognisable places, and stitches them all together into a gorgeous tapestry that not only illuminates our links with the nature but also highlights how our life cycle mirrors the planet we take for granted.
Its non-narrative treatment & form over content approach isn't going to appease all palates but there's an ethereal, soothing quality to its frames that speaks directly to the heart, mind & soul if one chooses to go with the breeze. But as it skims through ancient sites, sacred grounds, old age rituals, industrial complexes & materialism, it does pose some interesting questions.
Overall, Samsara is as intimate as it is vast in its reach, as obscure as it is clear in its message, and as elusive as it is obvious in its connections. Though the first half is nearly flawless, it does begin to lose its grip in the next but still manages to bring its globetrotting odyssey full circle in the end. To sum it all up, Ron Fricke's latest is no less than a sumptuously arranged guided meditation.
Filmed in 70 mm format and shot in 25 countries spanning 5 continents, the picture combines visual & aural elements into a transcendent piece that's as resonant as it is rhythmic and lets the images guide the flow instead of relying on verbal narration. It took the filmmakers 5 years to finish the project but in the end, it is worth the wait.
The camera employs photography techniques ranging from time-lapse to slow-mo, gathering images from the most obscure locations to the most recognisable places, and stitches them all together into a gorgeous tapestry that not only illuminates our links with the nature but also highlights how our life cycle mirrors the planet we take for granted.
Its non-narrative treatment & form over content approach isn't going to appease all palates but there's an ethereal, soothing quality to its frames that speaks directly to the heart, mind & soul if one chooses to go with the breeze. But as it skims through ancient sites, sacred grounds, old age rituals, industrial complexes & materialism, it does pose some interesting questions.
Overall, Samsara is as intimate as it is vast in its reach, as obscure as it is clear in its message, and as elusive as it is obvious in its connections. Though the first half is nearly flawless, it does begin to lose its grip in the next but still manages to bring its globetrotting odyssey full circle in the end. To sum it all up, Ron Fricke's latest is no less than a sumptuously arranged guided meditation.