Mitch Cohen

Mitch Cohen

Facebook people are doing the “ten days ten films that stay with you” thing. I’ll try it here. My first film is Koyaanisqatsi, by Godfrey Reggio with music by Philip Glass.

Facebook people are doing the “ten days ten films that stay with you” thing. I’ll try it here. My first film is Koyaanisqatsi, by Godfrey Reggio with music by Philip Glass.

I first ran across this documentary-ish film of beautiful landscapes and new-to-me dazzling music in college, on a rented VHS tape. Koyaanisqatsi is Hopi for Life Out Of Balance, or (my preference) A State Of Life That Calls For Another Way Of Living. Intense is an understatement.

I’ve been lucky to see it on the big screen twice, both with music performed live by Philip Glass and his ensemble. It’s the first of a trilogy, followed by Powaqqatsi and Naqoyqatsi.

Koyaanisqatsi is on YouTube. The conversion from film isn’t as good as the Blu-ray, but not bad.

Find the biggest screen you have, turn off the lights, crank the volume to eleven, and click m.youtube.com/watch