connection

Connection

Baraka, a beautifully put together film, makes connections to our first semester while bringing compassion and wonderment, impacting one like no other. in first semester we studied satire and bringing attention to the wrongs of this world, this film does that very well. it shows the ills of the world in an honest light allowing for change to them. just as the semester brought contrast to, the film brought contrast to the beautiful and dark of the world. it showed the wonders the world holds as well as the terrors. There are many more wonders that that Brussat spoke of. some of which include the powerful waves of the sea, forcing itself out of a hole in a rock, and the waves crashing across the shoreline rocks, demonstrating an almost incomprehensible power. the time lapses of the clouds in the sky give them a water like effect as they move and cascade across the sky rippling and moving almost as if it were a waterfall. the clips of the waterfalls themselves were powerful and peaceful. they cascaded in roars off the side of the cliff, in contrast to the peaceful green life surrounding it. these all invoke wonderment in someone. they are beautiful and powerful and leave one in awe of the world. seeing the many different tribes evokes a power within one’s being and brings a connection to the world. this brings out compassion, when there is connection compassion flows through, and through understanding and connecting with those yet undiscovered will bring the gift of compassion through.

The most impactful images through my eyes are the ones of destruction, sorrow, and separation from nature. the covered view of boxes for homes is saddening. there isn’t much beauty in those images. the lack of nature or access to better homes by the people is saddening. people deserve beautiful homes, not large or grandeur, just a nice place to live. the lack of nature to the people is saddening. though within that there are images of young boys and children bringing out feelings of compassion for the young, innocent beings doing what they can to enjoy life. simple joys such as kite flying and spendign time with friends. joy within the destruction and sadness is beautiful and impacting, and it stands out like a candle in darkness. the women in the cigarette factory give a caged feeling. the tedious, yet necessary task of rolling cigarette after cigaret for just enough money for the living of life. rolling cigarettes is a tedious, mind numbing task that seems to get nowhere. the same task over and over again feels caging and no true reward is brought, not to the mind and soul. the slowed time of the urban life in subways relaxes the merry-go-round, for a little bit, but the slowing seems forced, knowing that each person has another thought on their mind and tasks at hand. the beauty of the mind is wondrous, but none of the minds are rested. the life of the city is so rushed that the smallest breaks are forced and not used wisely. the fast motion of city life gives the effect of the rushed time we all live in. the clock ticked through time at a faster speed than it should, time goes by faster than we would all like it to. the burning of the baby chicks seemed the most impactful. it was shocking to see. the chicks are each beings with a life and a mind and a soul, whether the mind is as big as the human’s is out of question. the chicks are treated as if they were inanimate objects, without life. the lack of sight to the life is saddening. the cruelty was impactful, something i don’t think i’ll be able to forget. the sound sets the mood, if it is happy, sad, energetic, or peaceful. the sound goes with each image to give the appropriate mood for one to be in. the movement gives the view in which to see it, are you looking down on the world, is it below you, or is it so much greater than you can see? the movement of the camera gives life to the images being seen. the film’s goal is simply to teach. to teach of the world. it gives awareness to what is out there. it is easy to get sucked into the life you are living, as if it is the only life out there that matters. it is easy to forget the importance of others, and where items come from. its easy to forget how interconnected the human race really is to the world and only think about the here and now, and not everything else, and how great it is.