-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Baraka (A film)
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 10:48:58 +1030
From:  (Greg Noone)
Organization: DSTO Salisbury, South Australia
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian,aus.religion

I originaly wrote this up a few years ago, concerning the
film `Baraka'. I noticed it was on ABC TV last Friday, so thought
I might post it again. 
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This film is different as there is not a single word of dialogue and the
opening credits were simply “Baraka-a film produced by …”

The film simply consists of a series of scenes taken from 37 different
countries around the world. The scenes had a definate environmental, religious
and humanistic touch. It showed the miracle that is the planet earth and our
blatant destruction of it. It showed how thru all the different religious
perspectives, many are searching for a deeper meaning to life. It showed the
plight of the common man in many different cultures. But most importantly it
showed that regardless of our culture and race and creed, we are all truly one
and that we are somehow on a common path. It showed the universality of man and,
dare I say it, the universality of our struggle to find a deeper meaning to our
existence. And it showed the earth is our mother and father and that to destroy
it is truly immoral and madness.

Each scene was fairly short-you wished that some would go longer. A time
lapse camera showed the comical and absurd view of the “modern world’s” 9 to 5
life in large cities. It showed the remarkable beauty of earth and the different
forms of religious worship. It showed the poor “third world” people scraping thru
mounds of rubbish just looking for something that might be of any small value. It
showed the innocence and happiness of young children despite their living in
squalid slum surrounds. And it showed how mundane and robotic a modern life can
be. It showed a young prostitute in Bangkok who was so beautiful and so innocent,
but you could *FEEL* the tears and anguish in her heart. And it showed some
elderly people in their villages seemingly content just to sit and watch…

You felt alot during this film. You felt the agony and the ectasy and
everything in between. The futility and destruction of wars were not forgotten
and the Australian aboriginals were also shown along with the majesty of the
sacred rock Uluru as seen from above. Tribal peoples in South America and Africa
were prominent displaying their strange (to us Westerners!) rituals and dancing.
The high rise flats in Hong Kong with everyone’s washing hanging outside their
windows was also an impressive scene. The maccabre scene of beautiful, tiny
chicks flowing down the assembly line thrown around like tiny rag dolls, awaiting
their destiny of tiny, crammed batteries made everybody groan. The absurd lengths
we have gone to so that we may lead a “first world” life was both comical and
tragic. The Indians bathing in their sacred river (The Ganges) and the Jews
praying at the Wailing Wall were both touching. The Mosques in Iran and Turkey
and the Churches in Eurpopean countries showed such magnificent granduer and an
outlet for peoples devotion. The scene at Mecca and the burning oil rigs in
Kuwait and a time lapsed view of an approaching rain storm. A Bhuddist priest
striking a huge prayer bell and another begging for alms in a crowded city
street.

My only regret was that the film was only 90 minutes or so. A few found it
boring (they walked out) and some laughed at scenes where it was hardly
appropriate. But many thought that we had just seen something special. The film
was released in 1992 and I am amazed that I had never even heard of it. After the
film I just wanted Silence in order to contemplate what I had just seen. I didn’t
want to read, listen or talk until I had awoken the next morning…and now here I
am on aus.religion telling you all my immpressions on a most remarkable film. I
have barely described a small fraction of the scenes that made up the film.

If one film can change your life, or at least change the way you view the
world, Baraka is it.

Regards,

greg