-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Baraka (A film)
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 10:48:58 +1030
From:  (Greg Noone)
Organization: DSTO Salisbury, South Australia
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian,aus.religion

I originaly wrote this up a few years ago, concerning the
film `Baraka'. I noticed it was on ABC TV last Friday, so thought
I might post it again. 
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This film is different as there is not a single word of dialogue and the opening credits were simply "Baraka-a film produced by ..."

The film simply consists of a series of scenes taken from 37 different countries around the world. The scenes had a definate environmental, religious and humanistic touch. It showed the miracle that is the planet earth and our blatant destruction of it. It showed how thru all the different religious perspectives, many are searching for a deeper meaning to life. It showed the plight of the common man in many different cultures. But most importantly it showed that regardless of our culture and race and creed, we are all truly one and that we are somehow on a common path. It showed the universality of man and, dare I say it, the universality of our struggle to find a deeper meaning to our existence. And it showed the earth is our mother and father and that to destroy it is truly immoral and madness.

Each scene was fairly short-you wished that some would go longer. A time lapse camera showed the comical and absurd view of the "modern world's" 9 to 5 life in large cities. It showed the remarkable beauty of earth and the different forms of religious worship. It showed the poor "third world" people scraping thru mounds of rubbish just looking for something that might be of any small value. It showed the innocence and happiness of young children despite their living in squalid slum surrounds. And it showed how mundane and robotic a modern life can be. It showed a young prostitute in Bangkok who was so beautiful and so innocent, but you could *FEEL* the tears and anguish in her heart. And it showed some elderly people in their villages seemingly content just to sit and watch...

You felt alot during this film. You felt the agony and the ectasy and everything in between. The futility and destruction of wars were not forgotten and the Australian aboriginals were also shown along with the majesty of the sacred rock Uluru as seen from above. Tribal peoples in South America and Africa were prominent displaying their strange (to us Westerners!) rituals and dancing. The high rise flats in Hong Kong with everyone's washing hanging outside their windows was also an impressive scene. The maccabre scene of beautiful, tiny chicks flowing down the assembly line thrown around like tiny rag dolls, awaiting their destiny of tiny, crammed batteries made everybody groan. The absurd lengths we have gone to so that we may lead a "first world" life was both comical and tragic. The Indians bathing in their sacred river (The Ganges) and the Jews praying at the Wailing Wall were both touching. The Mosques in Iran and Turkey and the Churches in Eurpopean countries showed such magnificent granduer and an outlet for peoples devotion. The scene at Mecca and the burning oil rigs in Kuwait and a time lapsed view of an approaching rain storm. A Bhuddist priest striking a huge prayer bell and another begging for alms in a crowded city street.

My only regret was that the film was only 90 minutes or so. A few found it boring (they walked out) and some laughed at scenes where it was hardly appropriate. But many thought that we had just seen something special. The film was released in 1992 and I am amazed that I had never even heard of it. After the film I just wanted Silence in order to contemplate what I had just seen. I didn't want to read, listen or talk until I had awoken the next morning...and now here I am on aus.religion telling you all my immpressions on a most remarkable film. I have barely described a small fraction of the scenes that made up the film.

If one film can change your life, or at least change the way you view the world, Baraka is it.

Regards,

greg