Powaqqatsi (1988)

When will that train ever stop?
With a never ending train (in Africa, raw materials trains can be even longer - several kilometers I've heard), with that inimitable music to boot, Powaqquatsi shifts gear to reveal the complex world of Western civilisation after lots of shots of people in the third world and various graphic image collections from the rural developing world. The opening sequence of miners hauling up dirt is powerful. Amongst the best things about the film is the music and the skill in editing. Lots of people stare back at you and the question that screams in the head is "what do we want?" or "what do they want?" and questions about meanings and futilities. All the images are so special, usually slowed down. Sitting under the approaching feet of people on a ferris wheel. There are connected sequences of film such as people washing, people crossing roads, people carrying things. I think this film will be so inspirational to anyone who would like to create something that may arouse a sense of meaning and questioning. Our complex world in all its beauty and poverty is revealed devastatingly. There is a little girl who walks in front of some graffiti, looking at the camera, she stops, stares at the camera having walked almost out of the shot, and then she resumes walking to disappear.

different kind of film experience
This movie begs you to think...it bombards you with images, sometimes directly related...sometimes thematically linked... and tells a story about the world, forcing you to see the intricacies of life, how the world has been transformed...what in that transformation is abrasive and harmful, and what is intriguing, mysterious and beautiful...unfortunately the music isn't a brilliant as the film...but still...for anyone interested in indie film/documentary and image-flooding...this is an excellent buy.

different kind of film experience
This movie begs you to think...it bombards you with images, sometimes directly related...sometimes thematically linked... and tells a story about the world, forcing you to see the intricacies of life, how the world has been transformed...what in that transformation is abrasive and harmful, and what is intriguing, mysterious and beautiful...unfortunately the music isn't a brilliant as the film...but still...for anyone interested in indie film/documentary and image-flooding...this is an excellent buy.