"Baraka" Viewing and Discussion at Iowa State

Discussion after the film

On Friday (4/1), twenty Iowa State University students gathered to watch "Baraka" (posted on this blog 3/21) and discuss their opinions about the film. This was the first of what we hope will be many "Grow" events on campus, a great way to translate the ideas generated from the blog into face-to-face discussions. Thanks to everyone who came and made this event a success!

"Baraka" sets images from around the world to background music without narration or dialogue. Environmental and religious themes predominate throughout, with sections of the film focusing on traditional ceremonial rites, industrial development (New York City traffic), violence (fighter planes and concentration camps) and other topics. Here were some ideas about the film raised in discussion:

- The music was uplifting when pristine environments and traditional societies were shown, but pulsing (angry?) when showing industrial societies. Some felt this bias served to romanticize traditional ways of life, as the images were selective in showing only traditional rituals and not the day-to-day life of these people.

- Scenes of ancient ruins were juxtaposed next to contemporary metropolises and towering skyscrapers: will society as we know it today fall to the wayside as ancient empires have before us?

- In searching for commonalities throughout the different sections of "Baraka," the film seems to make a statement about the practices of different societies, whether they be beautiful, chaotic or violent. It is worth considering what values and social structures compel people and societies to act the way they do.

The pre-film potluck