Samsara (2011)

Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.

Director:

Ron Fricke

Writers:

Ron Fricke (concept and treatment written by), Mark Magidson (concept and treatment written by)

Stars:

Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Balinese Tari Legong Dancers	...	Dancers: Indonesia
Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi	...	Dancer: Valinese Tari Legong Dancers, Indonesia
Puti Sri Candra Dewi	...	Dancer: Valinese Tari Legong Dancers, Indonesia
Putu Dinda Pratika	...	Dancer: Valinese Tari Legong Dancers, Indonesia
Marcos Luna	...	Tattoo Daddy: USA
Hiroshi Ishiguro	...	Professor and Robot Clone: Japan (as Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro)
Olivier De Sagazan	...	Man At Desk: France
Ladyboys of Cascade Bar	...	Dancers: Thailand
Kikumaru	...	Geisha: Japan
Crisanto Neire	...	Lead Singer: Cebu Provincial Detenton Center, Philippines
Robert Henline	...	U>S> Army Veteran: USA (as Staff Sergeant Robert Henline)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tai Lihua	...	Lead Dancer: 1000 Habds Goddess Dance, China (as Iai Lihua)
Collin Alfredo St. Dic	...	Himself / Cyclist (as Collin St. Dic)

Storyline

Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.

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Plot Keywords:

shanghai china | trippy | yellowstone national park | turkey the country | hall of mirrors | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some disturbing and sexual images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Indonesia Singapore Thailand Kenya Denmark Brazil Jordan United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia South Africa Italy Ghana Egypt China Japan

Language:

None

Release Date:

23 August 2012 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Самсара

Filming Locations:

Indonesia

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$105,000, 31 August 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,601,847, 21 December 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bali Film Center,Bang Singapore,Bullet Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (8 channels) Datasat Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For several years the filmmakers attempted to secure permission to film in North Korea, but were ultimately denied access.

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Connections

References Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

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Soundtracks

Dump / Igen
Composed and performed by Lisa Gerrard, Marcello De Francisci, Michael Stearns
Varèse Sarabande Records, Inc.
(P) & © 2012 Magdison Films, Inc.
Distributed by Universal Music Distribution LLC.

User Reviews

A powerful companion to Baraka, and compellingly different.

Baraka was a film that left me dazzled and mesmerized. Walking into Samsara, I was nervous that my expectations were simply too high, and that the film would too closely mimic its sibling.

I can confidently say that by the end of Samsara, I once again experienced the flick of a light switch in my mind. Everything I am was completely put into perspective. As a result, I can promise that Samsara will leave you both awestruck and completely terrified.

Samsara struck a very personal chord with me. Much of what is shown exists because of people like me. The film is an unfiltered walk through the things that I try my best to ignore in daily life. I'm not sure how to reconcile the imagery of Samsara with how I live my life. I'm also not sure that I want to. It would mean giving up the vast majority of my creature comforts, even though I know those comforts come at the expense of other people, animals and the planet.

The fact the film allows me to think about these things, in a way that I normally wouldn't, means that it worked. 4/4.