Samsara

Pi^2

The long awaited sequel to 1992's highly acclaimed Baraka is being screened in the Irish Film Institute (IFI) next Friday.

http://www.ifi.ie/film/samsara/

Check out the Samsara trailer here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9WUTSWarEE&feature=fvwrel

Also, watch Baraka if you haven't already. You can thank me later.

S.M.B.

It's getting quite a wide release throughout Ireland.

http://www.barakasamsara.com/samsara/screenings

I'm quite annoyed it's not being shown on one of the London IMAX screens.

They're fecking too busy showing LOTR all nighters.

Renn

Loved Samsara, breathtaking filmmaking.

If you haven't watched Baraka yet, you can if you want. No need to thank me either.

Miguel_Sanchez

None of ye made the films, so I ain't thanking nobody.

Hootanany

What's it about

johnny_ultimate

It's a non-narrative film about the circle of life.

krudler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp967YAAdNk

Saw this is listing a being showing in the Screen from Friday, its a sort of sequel to Baraka. Shot on 70mm over 4 years in 25 countries, its a visual trip through humanity, industrial areas, forests, cities, deserts, etc etc. Does anyone know if the Screen has a 70mm projector? I'd actually make the trip up to see it like that.
If you've never seen Baraka then try find it on blu-ray, its one of the most visually incredible things you'll ever see. Think of it as like something David Attenborough would narrate except its about people instead of wildlife, and its musical score only. Definitely something you need to be in the mood to watch but for a purely visual movie its astounding.













stuff like Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi are well worth checking out too, Ron Fricke was involved in all of them afaik.

StopWatch

Saw this last night, totally and utterly amazing, beautiful.
If you ever saw Baraka or films like it, then this will melt your face.

Catcher7791

krudler wrote: »

Does anyone know if the Screen has a 70mm projector? I'd actually make the trip up to see it like that.

The IFI has the country's only 70mm projector, but Samsara isn't available on 70mm, or even 35mm. It's digital only, which is a disappointing surprise. Still looks gorgeous though.

losthorizon

Reminds me of Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis and the Soviet Film by Vertov Man with a Movie Camera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ZciIC4JPw

strandroad

I haven't seen either of the two, I'd like to, but I heard they contain animal cruelty scenes (as in meat industry etc) - is that true, for one or for both? This type of thing is usually too upsetting for me so I may need to give them a pass...

Renn

From what I remember there's a scene involving chickens. But I still don't see that as a good reason to miss out on this.

S.M.B.

And cows to a lesser extent....

But as said, don't let it put you off watching it.

johnny_ultimate

The pigs had a fairly bad run of it here too :pac: There is cruelty, but TBH all part of the film's scope of modern living.

Saw it today and quite liked it. A real visual treat - genuinely beautiful cinematography throughout. The film is at its best when it observes chaos and order - both natural and man made. Fantastic shots of rituals of all sizes and shapes (including a funeral with the oddest coffin). Much weaker when its clearly staged - the man with the mud was just silly, and the crying Geisha a tad on the nose.

All these nonnarrative films are basically the same conceptually and thematically, since Man with a Movie Camera. But this is still a visual triumph, and could never have the same impact on a small screen.

S.M.B.

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The pigs had a fairly bad run of it here too :pac: There is cruelty, but TBH all part of the film's scope of modern living.

Saw it today and quite liked it. A real visual treat - genuinely beautiful cinematography throughout. The film is at its best when it observes chaos and order - both natural and man made. Fantastic shots of rituals of all sizes and shapes (including a funeral with the oddest coffin). Much weaker when its clearly staged - the man with the mud was just silly, and the crying Geisha a tad on the nose.

All these nonnarrative films are basically the same conceptually and thematically, since Man with a Movie Camera. But this is still a visual triumph, and could never have the same impact on a small screen.

Agree 100% to the extent that I've kind of managed erase those moments from memory of watching the film already. There was no real need for scenes like those two but it didn't detract from the film as a whole for me.

Renn

Don't get the criticism of Olivier de Sagazan's performance in this, one of my favourite scenes in Samsara and probably the one people remember the most. Thought this comment from imdb summed it all up quite well:

The context for this scene is the same as every other scene in the film - These are things humans do: pray, fight, love, eat, create, destroy and, yes, perform. Fricke did not set this up or create it, he merely documented it as human behavior. The dancing girls are performing, the monks are creating art - all examples of human creativity on display. The scene in question is different only because our expectations are so clearly upset.

johnny_ultimate

Renn wrote: »

Don't get the criticism of Olivier de Sagazan's performance in this

Probably because it was a bit **** (IMO, naturally, and I'm sure for plenty of others too). Really broke my connection to the film for a few minutes, which was a shame as for the most part it did a damn good job at holding my attention. While it might fit thematically, doesn't mean one has to like the execution of it. Just stuck out like a sore thumb - which might be a positive for others, but for me just felt like a tonally off kilter and distracting moment.

A handful of sequences that were pretty self-parodic (the aforementioned crying Geisha especially - cringed at that one) is the only real criticism I can level at the film, TBH, aside from maybe its thematic familiarity and a soundtrack that wasn't quite as good as other similar examples IMO (although plenty of the song choices really did enhance the images on screen). As a cinema experience, it's really quite an engaging and successful one, and those few scenes only stood out because of the hypnotic power of the film elsewhere.

duckworth

I liked this, but it somehow did not have the wow-factor I experienced with Baraka. It also seemed a little more ideologically charged than the first one, which I'm not sure I liked.

I did think the mud-man performance was incredible and one of the best parts though - not sure why people thought it was out of place in any way.

duckworth

Also, if you have any interest in the Sand Mandala constructed and destroyed by the monks, there's a great film by Werner Herzog on the subject called Wheel of Time. Its a very affecting movie about Buddhism and what the mandala means.

kinsy

duckworth wrote: »

Also, if you have any interest in the Sand Mandala constructed and destroyed by the monks, there's a great film by Werner Herzog on the subject called Wheel of Time. Its a very affecting movie about Buddhism and what the mandala means.

Hi Duckworth
Thanks for the tip. I was fascinated by these scenes and love Herzog. I'll check this out for sure

krudler

took a trip to Galway today to see it in the Eye, thought it was excellent, some truly stunning looking scenes. the helicopter shot over Dubai was breathtaking.

littleredspot

Going to this tonight in The Screen in dublin. Has anybody seen it there and been happy with the projection etc, or would the IFI typically be a better place to experience it?