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

Oscilloscope

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

A real-time reconstruction of time-lapse photographs taken on board the International Space Station by NASA’s Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit. The film is scored with musical selections from three albums by Phaeleh (producer Matt Preston): Lost Time, Illusion of the Tale, and Somnus. The music directly influenced the choice of material used in the film. The film's duration is approximately the length of time it takes ISS to orbit the Earth once: 92 minutes and 39 seconds. Meditate on the beauty of our planet.

6.9

Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations

Apr 21, 1938

Commissioned to make a propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, director Leni Riefenstahl created a celebration of the human form. This first half of her two-part film opens with a renowned introduction that compares modern Olympians to classical Greek heroes, then goes on to provide thrilling in-the-moment coverage of some of the games' most celebrated moments, including African-American athlete Jesse Owens winning a then-unprecedented four gold medals.

6.7

Olympia: Part Two – Festival of Beauty

Jun 2, 1938

Commissioned to make a propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, director Leni Riefenstahl created a celebration of the human form. Where the two-part epic's first half, Festival of the Nations, focused on the international aspects of the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, part two, The Festival of Beauty, concentrates on individual athletes such as equestrians, gymnasts, and swimmers, climaxing with American Glenn Morris' performance in the decathalon and the games' majestic closing ceremonies.

7.9

Koyaanisqatsi

Apr 27, 1983

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

6.1

Naqoyqatsi

Sep 2, 2002

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

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.

7.5

Chronos

May 10, 1985

Carefully picked scenes of nature and civilization are viewed at high speed using time-lapse cinematography in an effort to demonstrate the history of various regions.

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.

7.3

Powaqqatsi

Apr 29, 1988

An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.

7.5

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

Letters to my Grandma

Nov 1, 2024

A young filmmaker maintains an epistolary conversation with his deceased grandmother while he rediscovers the space they both inhabited for more than a decade.

6.8

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.

8.1

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.

6.6

Fata Morgana

Jun 4, 1971

Shot under extreme conditions and inspired by Mayan creation theory, the film contemplates the illusion of reality and the possibility of capturing for the camera something which is not there. It is about the mirages of nature—and the nature of mirage.

6.2

Faces of November

Aug 27, 1964

Robert Drew shows the sights and sounds from the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in November, 1963. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2002.

7.2

Life in a Day

Jan 27, 2011

A documentary shot by filmmakers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th of July, 2010.

6.0

The Boy of The Fish

Jul 5, 2024

"The Boy Of The Fish" follows Noon, a young boy living in a Syrian refugee camp, who finds solace and a sense of freedom in a whale-shaped doll he names "Bahr." Set against the challenging realities of camp life, Noon’s journey is both a story of resilience and a testament to the boundless imagination of childhood. Through vivid symbolism and a unique soundscape, the film explores themes of loss, hope, and the longing for freedom amidst confinement. Shot entirely on an iPhone due to restrictions in the conflict zone, the film combines raw authenticity with poetic depth to capture the emotional landscape of a young soul navigating adversity.

6.9

À propos de Nice

May 28, 1930

What starts off as a conventional travelogue turns into a satirical portrait of the town of Nice on the French Côte d'Azur, especially its wealthy inhabitants.