A collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on nature, humanity and the relationship between them.
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Title: Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
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5 wins & 1 nomination.
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Cast
| Uncredited cast: | |||
| Lou Dobbs | ... |
Himself
(archive footage) (uncredited)
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| Ted Koppel | ... |
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Storyline
This documentary looks at the world and more specifically the effect man has had on the landscape and the environment. Without narration, the film shows the world in a pristine condition and untouched: blue skies, beautiful landscapes and endless vistas. The man-made world is much less appealing. Essentially a montage using a variety of film techniques to provide a visually stunning montage of images. Written by garykmcd
Plot Keywords:
experimental film | cult film | independent film | environment | nature |Taglines:
Until now, you've never really seen the world you live in. See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
NoneRelease Date:
11 November 1983 (West Germany) See more »Also Known As:
Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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title card: Translation of the Hopi Prophecies sung in the film: "If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster." - "Near the Day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky." - "A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans."
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Godfrey Reggio did a series of short films for the Institute of Regional Education, consisting of a stream of images to the theme of the invasion of privacy. It was here that Reggio met cinematographer Ron Fricke. An attempt to bring these films to national attention failed, thus the next logical step was to create a feature film - "Koyaanisqatsi". See more »Goofs
About an hour into the movie, the camera operator is reflected in the elevator's glass window as the elevator passes "between" floors while shooting the escalators. See more »Quotes
[last lines]title card: Translation of the Hopi Prophecies sung in the film: "If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster." - "Near the Day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky." - "A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans."
See more »
A welcome assault on the senses, 'Koyaanisqatsi' is not for the impatient or nervous. You have to give it time because it is slightly dull in the very beginning, as the music and landscapes are fairly ordinary. Once it gets going, its really fascinating. Some gorgeous images, none generated by a computer I might add, and a soundtrack to match the intensity makes this a unique movie experience. I saw it on the big screen when it was first released, and it was MUCH better than on my not-that-big television.
One of the things I also like about this movie is the fact that since there is no dialogue, it can be shown in any country in the world unchanged. We would all see it the exact same way. I like the idea of that very much.