Last night the Sundance Channel showed Baraka. I haven't seen it in quite some time, and still love it. It is truely a great film. Watching "Baraka" is an unusual experience, closer to a mystic trance than to a common film-going.
In this hypnotic visual essay, the relationship between Man and the Earth is explored by photographer Ron Fricke, by means of careful editing and a haunting series of musics from around the world.
There is no dialogue, no plot, to characters. No actors.
Filmed in 24 countries and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack, the movie draws some surprising connections between various peoples and the spaces they inhabit, whether that space is a lonely mountaintop, a crowded cigarette factory or a busy crossroad somewhere in the US.
The word Baraka means "blessing" in several languages; watching this film, the viewer is blessed with a dazzling barrage of images that transcend language.
Amazing connections are proposed to the viewer by careful editing: for instance, an early sequence segues between the daily devotions of Tibetan monks, Orthodox Jews, and whirling dervishes, finding more similarity among these rituals than one might expect.
Other amazing moments include sped-up footage of a busy Hong Kong intersection revealing a beautiful symmetry to urban life that could only be appreciated from the perspective of film.... The director also invented new photographic devices to be able to obtain the effects he wanted, playing with slow and fast motion in pictures, to bring out the regularities in them.
The sense of mesmerizing confusion and de-location is entirely wanted. Cinematographer Ron Fricke explains that the effect was intentional: "It's not where you are that's important, it's what's there." And what's here, in Baraka, is a whole anthropological essay summed up in 104 minutes... definitely, to be seen!
The soundtrack is also great (listening to it right now, in fact). I would recommend the movie and sountrack to everyone!
Posted by Kevin at August 27, 2002 01:26 PMsearching for cinematographer
I am looking for contact information. Would you know how I can get a hold of Ron Fricke,
(director, cinematographer)
I am a Creative Director in Chicago working for a large advertising agency and we are looking to find Ron as soon as possible. Thank you so much for a speedy reply.
Warm regards,
Michael Davis
I just now finished watching Baraka and I was memorized to say the least. Baraka is the most brilliantly filmed piece of poetry I have ever seen. I just purchased it and I eagerly await Samsara. Ron Fricke, you are a genius!!
Posted by: Rene on March 13, 2003 09:10 AMI am also looking to contact Ron Fricke - any ideas on his whereabouts/contact details?
Thanks in advance.
Sue
Posted by: Sue on August 25, 2003 01:02 PMI imagine Ron must be somewhere finishing filming Samsara. No news from him since the last news in in70mm.com.
Just wishing to see Samsara, as all fans around the world.
Kitai
Posted by: Kitai on September 14, 2003 05:56 PMWe watched Baraka in our Art class and I was mesmerised by the images(not the chicken one, mind you) the whole time. After the movie our art teacher, in order not to let the Japanese student feel bad, asked the student felt that the movie was a little too harsh on Japan? The student replied 'Yes'. Ever since that I have been trying to contact Ron Fricke to ask him one question: Why did he choose Japan and not the US to depict the epitome of industrial ingenuity? And I know it sounds stupid, but does anyone see deliberate intentions on Ron's part? Just curious with questions in my head I guess.
please read "asked the student felt..." as "asked the student if he felt...." =(
Posted by: schiele on November 11, 2003 06:06 AMHi,
I am an assistant editor at a trailer house and am desperately trying to find out Ron Franke's contact info for one of our TV spots. Have you had any luck obtaining this info? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Jasmine
about the Japan thing. I think Fricke chose that, not in a particular attack on Japan, but to show humanity's connection with the chick factory. We have gotten to the point where we are manufacturing ourselves. Tokyo happens to be the city where that is most easily demonstrated. I don't think Fricke singled out a paticular country. Take for example the coffin like slums. Those were in Sao Paolo. Or the human refuse/homeless. Those images were from New York. Fricke chose the images that best make his point. Not necessarily to trash one country or another.
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