Samsara

Sep 16, 2011

1h 42m

★ 8.1

Overview

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.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Magidson Films

Samsara Trailers

Cast

Dancer: Valinese Tari Legong 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

Tattoo Daddy: USA

Marcos Luna

Professor and Robot Clone: Japan

Hiroshi Ishiguro

Man At Desk: France

Olivier De Sagazan

Dancers: Thailand

Ladyboys of Cascade Bar

Geisha: Japan

Kikumaru

Lead Singer: Cebu Provincial Detenton Center, Philippines

Crisanto Neire

US Army Veteran: USA (as Staff Sergeant Robert Henline)

Robert Henline

Lead Dancer: 1000 Habds Goddess Dance, China

Tai Lihua

Self - Cyclist

Collin Alfredo St. Dic

Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.

6.7

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty

Jun 2, 1938

Part two of Leni Riefenstahl's monumental examination of the 1938 Olympic Games, the cameras leave the main stadium and venture into the many halls and fields deployed for such sports as fencing, polo, cycling, and the modern pentathlon, which was won by American Glenn Morris.

7.4

Sans Soleil

Mar 2, 1983

A woman narrates the thoughts of a world traveler, meditations on time and memory expressed in words and images from places as far-flung as Japan, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, and San Francisco.

7.6

Microcosmos

Sep 6, 1996

A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their catch, a scarab beetle relentlessly pushing its ball of dung uphill, endless lines of caterpillars, an underwater spider creating an air bubble to live in, and a mosquito hatching.

0.0

Rolling at The Tower

Mar 16, 2025

Dating back to the 1800s, Birmingham’s roller skating scene is a flourishing, diverse community - but it lacks dedicated spaces. This community documentary explores the history of one roller venue, The Tower Ballroom, and considers what it tells us about the power of community action.

0.0

Messengers

Apr 9, 2025

A poetic exploration of three subterranean telescopes in remote regions of Canada, Japan, and Antarctica that reveal a new way of perceiving the universe from within. Underground, we are dreaming into the earth.

6.6

Acasă, My Home

Jan 26, 2020

In the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, nine children and their parents lived in perfect harmony with nature for 20 years – until they are chased out and forced to adapt to life in the big city.

8.0

Once Upon a Time in Venezuela

Mar 13, 2020

Once upon a time, the Venezuelan village of Congo Mirador was prosperous, alive with fisherman and poets. Now it is decaying and disintegrating—a small but prophetic reflection of Venezuela itself.

0.0

Capturing Memories

Dec 14, 2027

Time passes, slips away, dissolves. But what if we could hold it for a moment? "Capturing Memories" is a dive into the essence of the inconsistent, an invitation to reflect on the importance of preserving moments before they are lost in oblivion. Through visual fragments, the documentary reveals how small scenes of everyday life carry echoes of the past and seeds of the future. In a world where everything passes, what really remains? This film is a tribute to the art of immortalizing the moment, to the beauty of seeing beyond the present and to the need to give meaning to what may one day become a memory.

7.5

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City

Sep 23, 1927

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

0.0

Terpsichore

Nov 14, 2024

Terpsichore is a captivating exploration of dance as an art form, illuminating the passion, discipline, and vulnerability that transform movement into poetry. The documentary follows three distinct yet interconnected artists: Cece Trapani, an Irish dancer; Aurora Maur, a burlesque performer; and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC), a renowned contemporary dance ensemble. Through their stories, Terpsichore reveals the universal language of dance—one that transcends genre and speaks to the depths of human emotion. Intimate interviews and behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage offer a raw, unfiltered look at the artistry behind each performance, capturing the essence of dance as both personal expression and a bridge between artist and audience. More than a showcase of technique, Terpsichore delves into the soul of movement, celebrating its power to connect, inspire, and reveal the unspoken truths of the human spirit.

5.0

3000 Miles

Apr 24, 2007

A group of professional skateboarders and their friends take part in the Gumball 3000 rally, an 8 day race around the world from London to Los Angeles.

6.1

Naqoyqatsi

Sep 2, 2002

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

8.0

A Journey

May 29, 2017

A cinematic journey through the world. Non-verbal.

6.2

Panta Rhei

Mar 8, 1952

In 1952, Haanstra made Panta Rhei , another view of Holland through the eyes of a painter and filmmaker. Its poetic images of water, skies and clouds reflect Haanstra's own moods.

8.0

The Pool

Nov 7, 2024

Bondi Icebergs is the most photographed pool in the world. This is where generations of children have learnt to swim, where the diehard have braved the frigid waters of one hundred winters, where the young and beautiful have come to bond and bake in the hot sun. THE POOL is a stunning cinematic experience with a soundtrack that harks back to the 1960s and a cast of characters who each have a story to tell. It speaks to the enduring power of community and our collective longing to find it. No matter your background or where you’re at – everyone is equal in their swimsuits.

0.0

La nuit de tous les mots

Feb 6, 2025

No overview available.

0.5

Point of No Return

Nov 9, 2017

Point of No Return takes you behind the headlines of the first solar-powered flight around the world—where two courageous pilots take turns battling nature, their own crew, and sometimes logic itself, to achieve the impossible. Not just to make history, but to inspire a revolution.

0.0

Autumn Evening

Oct 28, 2022

As the day comes to an end deer graze on a hillside, wild turkeys pass through a grassy field, and the full moon rises.

7.0

The Noise of Time

Jun 27, 2024

In the town of Xoco, the spirit of an old villager awakens in search of its lost home. Along its journey, the ghost discovers that the town still celebrates its most important festivities, but also learns that the construction of a new commercial complex called Mítikah will threaten the existence of both the traditions and the town itself.