Life Out of Balance

Just found out that one of my favorite movies, Koyaanisqatsi is available to watch on Google Video and on Hulu. Massively recommended for incredible videography and epic soundtrack by Phillip Glass.

“Koyaanisqatsi” is a Hopi word meaning “life out of balance.” The movie doesn’t have a plot per se, but the breathtaking photography and time-lapse video tell a story of nature and civilization.

I first saw Koyaanisqatsi at nerd camp some ten years ago. I fell asleep. Ok, I was really tired! But even with dozing off during parts of the movie, it made a real impression on me that I couldn’t shake. For years afterwards, I remembered the haunting music and striking images. Finally, just a couple of years ago, I came across a deal for Koyaanisqatsi and the sequel Powaqqatsi on DVD and ordered it. I don’t buy a lot of movies, but this is one I knew I could watch over and over. Powaqqatsi is similar to Koyaanisqatsi, but is much more human-centric. Where Koyaanisqatsi often depicts society in time-lapse video of New York city traffic from the top of a skyscraper, Powaqqatsi features many slow-motion close-ups of expressive human faces. The two are actually part of the Qatsi trillogy with Naqoyqatsi, which I haven’t yet seen. (ahem)