Samsara

Bhagawati reviews an inspiring documentary.

I sat down one late Sunday afternoon, ready to put my feet up and zone out. I had pulled the DVD of Samsara out from a ‘to-look-at’ stack, idly put it in the DVD player and hit the button.

The result could be called a zoning in! I found myself watching a highly unusual documentary in that it manages to convey its message without words, relying on the stunning images and captivating music to entice the viewer to watch this meditatively, as a witness.

The film was made by director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson, whose award-winning film Baraka you might have seen in the early nineties. Samsara was shot over a five year time-span in twenty-five countries on five continents.  It conveys the worldwide reality of the human condition and state of our planet, yet it heralds by no means a depressing message as it shows abundantly clearly possibilities of transformation and thus induces a greater understanding of where we’re at as a species.

This video will give you a taste of what this astounding movie is about. And you might have a hanky nearby, for some very touching scenes.

Watch on YouTube

Although this documentary has the same name, it is not to be mistaken by the ‘other’ Samsara, the movie about a Tibetan monk who returns to the world, set in Ladakh. That movie is also absolutely recommended in case you haven’t seen it yet!

Bhagawati