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Samsara (2011)

Trailer
1:36 | Trailer
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)
1 win & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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Photos

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Cast

Credited cast:
Balinese Tari Legong Dancers ... Dancers: Indonesia
Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi ... Dancer: Valinese Tari Legong Dancers, Indonesia
Puti Sri Candra Dewi Puti Sri Candra Dewi ... Dancer: Valinese Tari Legong Dancers, Indonesia
Putu Dinda Pratika Putu Dinda Pratika ... Dancer: Valinese Tari Legong Dancers, Indonesia
Marcos Luna Marcos Luna ... Tattoo Daddy: USA
Hiroshi Ishiguro ... Professor and Robot Clone: Japan (as Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro)
Olivier De Sagazan Olivier De Sagazan ... Man At Desk: France
Ladyboys of Cascade Bar Ladyboys of Cascade Bar ... Dancers: Thailand
Kikumaru Kikumaru ... Geisha: Japan
Crisanto Neire ... Lead Singer: Cebu Provincial Detenton Center, Philippines
Robert Henline 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 Collin Alfredo St. Dic ... Self / Cyclist (as Collin St. Dic)
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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.

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Genres:

Documentary | Music

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the filmmakers, Michael Stearns (composer) created his original score for Samsara after the film had been "silently edited" by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson. This is different from their previous collaboration on Baraka (1992) where visuals were largely edited to a soundtrack. See more »

Connections

Featured in The Giver (2014) See more »

Soundtracks

Manila
Composed and performed by Lisa Gerrard & Marcello De Francisci
Varèse Sarabande Records, Inc.
(P) & © 2012 Magdison Films, Inc.
Distributed by Universal Music Distribution LLC.
See more »

User Reviews

 
The greatest visual experience that my eyeballs have ever witnessed.
19 September 2011 | by rosielaroseSee all my reviews

I just saw a screening of Samsara at the TIFF, at the brilliant TIFF Lightbox theatre.

Wow.

A film that took 5 years to make and co-ordinate. Shot in Panarama 70mm, across 26 countries, needing major government and regulatory clearances, having to wait for certain seasons or lunar phases to get the light to hit the way director Fricke wanted...carefully strung together with a massive 7.1 surround sound design and music score from Michael Stearns, Marcello de Francisci, and Lisa Gerrard (of Dead Can Dance).

The 70mm negative has been digitally scanned and oversampled at 8k resolution (much like the 'Baraka' Blu-ray); the TIFF Lightbox theatre installed a brand new Christie 4k projector (Christie Projection Systems rushed the projector before its release to the market specifically for this event) making it the first true 4k screening of it's kind.

From sweeping landscapes to time-lapse sequences of the night sky and from exclusive looks into the processing of food to the consumption and effects it has on the human body, Samsara is nothing short of astounding. Modern technology, production lines, and human robotics are juxtaposed against a backdrop of deserts, garbage mounds as far as the eye can see, and traffic congestion in modern centres. The time-lapse footage is simply transcendent. In fact, I caught myself questioning the reality of some of the landscape vistas and night skyline montages...they looked so hyper-real that I thought they must have come from a CG lab somewhere. Simply astonishing. The richness, depth and clarity of colour and image achieved within the processes utilized gives birth to the most beautiful visual meditation that I have ever witnessed.

As one film journalist noted, "That Samsara is instantly one of the most visually-stunning films in the history of cinema is reason enough to cherish it, but Fricke and co-editor Mark Magidson achieve truly profound juxtapositions, brimming with meaning and emotion. It sounds preposterous, but it's true: In 99 minutes, Samsara achieves something approaching a comprehensive portrait of the totality of human experience. If you're even remotely fond of being alive, Samsara is not to be missed."

If you ever come across the chance to see this film in a decent theatre, run, and let your eyeballs (and earholes) feast upon its brilliance.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official site

Language:

None

Release Date:

23 August 2012 (Germany) See more »

Also Known As:

Samsara See more »

Filming Locations:

Indonesia See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$76,222, 26 August 2012

Gross USA:

$2,672,413

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,426,444
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (8 channels)| Datasat | Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
See full technical specs »

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