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{{short description|2011 American documentary film}}
{{other uses|samsara (disambiguation)}}
{{other uses|samsara (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Samsara
| name = Samsara
| image = Samsara_Film_Poster.jpg
| image = Samsara_Film_Poster.jpg
| image_size =
| border =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = Film poster
| caption = Film poster
Line 23: Line 24:
| distributor = [[Oscilloscope Laboratories]]
| distributor = [[Oscilloscope Laboratories]]
| released = {{Film date|2011|9|11|[[2011 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|2012|8|24}}
| released = {{Film date|2011|9|11|[[2011 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|2012|8|24}}
| runtime = 99 minutes
| runtime = 102 minutes
| country = United States
| country = United States
| budget = $4 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Samsara|title=Samsara (2012) - Financial Information|work=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|accessdate=11 May 2018}}</ref>
| budget = $4 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Samsara|title=Samsara (2012) - Financial Information|work=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|accessdate=11 May 2018}}</ref>
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'''''Samsara''''' is a 2011 American [[non-narrative film|non-narrative]] [[documentary film]] of international imagery directed by [[Ron Fricke]] and produced by Mark Magidson, who also collaborated on ''[[Baraka (film)|Baraka]]'' (1992), a film of a similar vein, and ''[[Chronos (film)|Chronos]]'' (1985).
'''''Samsara''''' is a 2011 American [[non-narrative film|non-narrative]] [[documentary film]] of international imagery directed by [[Ron Fricke]] and produced by Mark Magidson, who also collaborated on ''[[Baraka (film)|Baraka]]'' (1992), a film of a similar vein, and ''[[Chronos (film)|Chronos]]'' (1985).


Completed over a period of five years in 25 different countries around the world, it was shot in [[70 mm film|70 mm]] format and output to [[Digital film|digital]] format. The film premiered at the [[2011 Toronto International Film Festival]] and received a [[limited release]] in August 2012.
Completed over a period of five years in 25 countries around the world, it was shot in [[70 mm film|70 mm]] format and output to [[Digital film|digital]] format. The film premiered at the [[2011 Toronto International Film Festival]] and received a [[limited release]] in August 2012.


==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
The official website describes, "Expanding on the themes they developed in ''[[Baraka (film)|Baraka]]'' (1992) and ''[[Chronos (film)|Chronos]]'' (1985), ''Samsara'' explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of humanity's spirituality and the human experience. Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, Samsara takes the form of a nonverbal, [[guided meditation]]."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://barakasamsara.com/samsara/about | title = About Samsara | publisher=barakasamsara.com | accessdate=September 11, 2012 }}</ref>

The official website describes the film, "Expanding on the themes they developed in ''[[Baraka (film)|Baraka]]'' (1992) and ''[[Chronos (film)|Chronos]]'' (1985), ''Samsara'' explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of humanity's spirituality and the human experience. Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, Samsara takes the form of a nonverbal, [[guided meditation]]."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://barakasamsara.com/samsara/about | title = About Samsara | publisher=barakasamsara.com | accessdate=September 11, 2012 }}</ref>


==Production==
==Production==

''Samsara'' is directed by [[Ron Fricke]] and produced by Mark Magidson. The pair had collaborated on ''[[Baraka (film)|Baraka]]'' (1992) and reunited in 2006 to plan ''Samsara''. They researched locations that would fit the conceptual imagery of [[saṃsāra]], to them "meaning 'birth, death and rebirth' or 'impermanence'". They gathered research from people's works and photo books as well as the Internet and [[YouTube]], resources not available at the time of planning ''Baraka''.<ref name="cs">{{cite news | last=Douglas | first=Edward | url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=93727 | title=Interview: The Filmmakers Behind ''Samsara'' | work=[[ComingSoon.net]] | date=August 21, 2012 | accessdate=September 11, 2012 }}</ref> They considered using digital cameras but decided to film in [[70 mm film|70 mm]] instead, considering its quality superior.<ref name="portrait">{{cite news | last=Rapold | first=Nicolas | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/movies/samsara-ron-frickes-cinematic-portrait-of-the-globe.html | title=Planetary Poetry, Woven Into a Movie | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=August 17, 2012 }}</ref> Fricke and Magidson began filming ''Samsara'' the following year.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Hayes | first=Dade | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117965240 | title=Fricke directs 'Baraka' sequel | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=May 18, 2007 }}</ref> Filming lasted for more than four years and took place in 25 countries across five continents.<ref name="nabs">{{cite journal | last=McNary | first=Dave | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118051456 | title=Oscilloscope Labs nabs doc 'Samsara' | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=March 14, 2012 }}</ref> Three years into filming, the pair began assembling the film and editing it. They pursued several [[Pick-up (filmmaking)|pick-up]] shoots to augment the final product.<ref name="cs" />
''Samsara'' is directed by [[Ron Fricke]] and produced by Mark Magidson. The pair had collaborated on ''[[Baraka (film)|Baraka]]'' (1992) and reunited in 2006 to plan ''Samsara''. They researched locations that would fit the conceptual imagery of [[saṃsāra]], to them "meaning 'birth, death and rebirth' or 'impermanence'". They gathered research from people's works and photo books as well as the Internet and [[YouTube]], resources not available at the time of planning ''Baraka''.<ref name="cs">{{cite news | last=Douglas | first=Edward | url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=93727 | title=Interview: The Filmmakers Behind ''Samsara'' | work=[[ComingSoon.net]] | date=August 21, 2012 | accessdate=September 11, 2012 }}</ref> They considered using digital cameras but decided to film in [[70 mm film|70 mm]] instead, considering its quality superior.<ref name="portrait">{{cite news | last=Rapold | first=Nicolas | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/movies/samsara-ron-frickes-cinematic-portrait-of-the-globe.html | title=Planetary Poetry, Woven Into a Movie | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=August 17, 2012 }}</ref> Fricke and Magidson began filming ''Samsara'' the following year.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Hayes | first=Dade | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117965240 | title=Fricke directs 'Baraka' sequel | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=May 18, 2007 }}</ref> Filming lasted for more than four years and took place in 25 countries across five continents.<ref name="nabs">{{cite journal | last=McNary | first=Dave | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118051456 | title=Oscilloscope Labs nabs doc 'Samsara' | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=March 14, 2012 }}</ref> Three years into filming, the pair began assembling the film and editing it. They pursued several [[Pick-up (filmmaking)|pick-up]] shoots to augment the final product.<ref name="cs" />


The crew used three 70&nbsp;mm cameras for filming; two cameras manufactured by [[Panavision]] and one specialty [[Time-lapse photography|time-lapse camera]] designed by Fricke. While the scenes were captured on [[70 mm film|65 mm]] negative film, they were output to [[Digital Cinema Package]] (DCP), a digital output. Magidson described the process, "We're doing a combination of what we think is the best of both technologies, the best way to image capture and then the best way to output. Once we get into the digital environment, we're able to refine the imagery, we're able to save shots that we'd have to otherwise trash really for various reasons." Where they cut their negatives for ''Baraka'', the negatives for ''Samsara'' were scanned then worked on digitally. The pair used the [[Telecine]] process to format the film to [[Apple ProRes|ProRes]] for the editing process and used [[Final Cut Pro|Final Cut]] for editing.<ref name="cs" />
The crew used three 70&nbsp;mm cameras for filming; two cameras manufactured by [[Panavision]] and one specialty [[Time-lapse photography|time-lapse camera]] designed by Fricke. While the scenes were captured on [[70 mm film|65 mm]] negative film, they were output to [[Digital Cinema Package]] (DCP), a digital output. Magidson described the process, "We're doing a combination of what we think is the best of both technologies, the best way to image capture and then the best way to output. Once we get into the digital environment, we're able to refine the imagery, we're able to save shots that we'd have to otherwise trash really for various reasons." Where they cut their negatives for ''Baraka'', the negatives for ''Samsara'' were scanned then worked on digitally. The pair used the [[Telecine]] process to format the film to [[Apple ProRes|ProRes]] for the editing process and used [[Final Cut Pro|Final Cut]] for editing.<ref name="cs" />


The crew filmed from a bird's-eye view a scene of pilgrims surrounding the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca|Mecca, Saudi Arabia]]. A 40-floor building was recently constructed next to the mosque that surrounded the Kaaba, so the filmmakers were able to film the pilgrims with permission of the building's owner.<ref name="cs" />
The crew shot from a [[bird's-eye view]] a scene of pilgrims surrounding the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca|Mecca, Saudi Arabia]]. A 40-floor building was recently constructed next to the mosque that surrounded the Kaaba, so the filmmakers were able to film the pilgrims with permission of the building's owner.<ref name="cs" />


===Music===
===Music===
The film's music was composed by [[Michael Stearns]], [[Lisa Gerrard]], and Marcello De Francisci. Stearns collaborated with the filmmakers on ''Baraka'' and ''Chronos'', and Gerrard also collaborated with them on ''Baraka''. Unlike ''Baraka'', ''Samsara'' was edited without music, and the composers worked on numerous sequences as separate pieces. The filmmakers then connected the sequences. Magidson explained of the pieces, "It's a piece of music you can listen to as music as well that interprets their feelings to know that imagery in that sequence visually, so they're kind of interpreting it musically." The scoring process lasted between six and seven months.<ref name="cs" />
The score was composed by [[Michael Stearns]], [[Lisa Gerrard]] and Marcello De Francisci. Stearns previously collaborated with the filmmakers on ''Baraka'' and ''Chronos'', and Gerrard on ''Baraka''. Unlike ''Baraka'', ''Samsara'' was edited without music, and the composers worked on numerous sequences as separate pieces, before connecting. Magidson explained of the pieces, "It's a piece of music you can listen to as music as well that interprets their feelings to know that imagery in that sequence visually, so they're kind of interpreting it musically." The scoring process lasted between six and seven months.<ref name="cs" />

==Themes==

Fricke and Magidson emphasized avoiding a particular political view in assembling the film. Fricke said, "We just try to keep it in the middle and then we form little blocks of content and then we set them aside until we had enough. We did all of this without music or sound effects. We just let the image guide the flow and then we started stringing the blocks together."<ref name="cs" /> Nicolas Rapold of ''The New York Times'' wrote that Samsara's lack of a specific message is "a departure from similarly expansive, globally conscious nonfiction films in vogue now, like the critically acclaimed work of [[Michael Glawogger]] ('[[Workingman's Death]],' which depicts the same sulfur mines as 'Samsara') and [[Nikolaus Geyrhalter]] ('[[Abendland]]') that also serve as probing sociological critique."<ref>Rapold, Nicolas. "Planetary Poetry, Women into a Movie: 'Samsara,' Ron Fricke's Cinematic Portrait of the Globe." New York Times. ''NYTimes.com'', 17 Aug. 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/movies/samsara-ron-frickes-cinematic-portrait-of-the-globe.html</ref>

==Release==


===Filming locations===
''Samsara'' premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] in September 2011. In March 2012, [[Oscilloscope (company)|Oscilloscope Laboratories]] acquired the rights to distribute ''Samsara'' in the United States.<ref name="nabs" /> The film had a limited release in two theaters on {{nowrap|August 24}}, 2012. By its fifth weekend (September&nbsp;14–16), ''Samsara'' had expanded to 60 theaters and achieved the highest-grossing documentary release of 2012.<ref name="indiewire">{{cite web | url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/specialty-box-office-sleepwalk-samsara-among-years-best-indie-debuts-obamas-america-soars-to-overall-top-5 | title=Specialty Box Office: 'Sleepwalk,' 'Samsara' Among Year's Best Indie Debuts; 'Obama's America' Soars To Overall Top 10 | publisher=[[IndieWire]] | accessdate=October 15, 2012 }}</ref> On {{nowrap|October 14}}, distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories announced that at $1.8 million in box office earnings, ''Samsara'' had become the highest-grossing film in Oscilloscope's (relatively short) history.<ref name="oscope">{{cite web | url=http://www.oscilloscope.net/?p=798 | title=HIT DOCUMENTARY SAMSARA BECOMES OSCILLOSCOPE’S HIGHEST-GROSSING FILM EVER THEATRICALLY | publisher=[[Oscilloscope Laboratories]] | accessdate=October 15, 2012 }}</ref>
''Samsara'' was filmed in nearly one hundred locations across 25 countries over the course of exactly five years. Some locations include: [[Angola]], [[Brazil]], [[China]], [[Denmark]], [[Egypt]], [[Ethiopia]], [[France]], [[Ghana]], [[Hong Kong]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Italy]], [[Japan]], [[Israel]] and the [[West Bank]],{{efn|Location listed in the closing credits as [[Israel]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barakasamsara.com/sites/default/files/samsara-credits.pdf|title=''Samara'' Credits|publisher=Magidson Films|work=barakasamsara.com|access-date=August 12, 2024}}</ref>|name=Israel}} [[Mali]], [[Burma|Myanmar]], [[Namibia]], [[Philippines]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[South Korea]], [[Thailand]], [[Turkey]], [[United Arab Emirates]] and [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://barakasamsara.com/samsara/locations | title = Filming Locations for Samsara | publisher=barakasamsara.com | accessdate=January 28, 2013 }}</ref>


{{div col|small=yes}} <!-- Small = yes -->
==Critical reception==
;[[Africa]]

[[Angola]]
[[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a score of 77% based on reviews from 77 critics and reports a rating average of 7 out of 10. It reports the critics' consensus that "it's a tad heavy-handed in its message, but Samsara's overwhelmingly beautiful visuals more than compensate for any narrative flaws."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/samsara_2012/ | title=Samsara | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=September 17, 2012 }}</ref> At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average]] score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 65% based on 23 reviews, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/samsara | title=Samsara Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate=September 17, 2012 }}</ref>

[[Kenneth Turan]], reviewing for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', called ''Samsara'' "as frustrating as it is beautiful." Turan expressed frustration that the filmmakers did not name the more obscure locations, such as the [[Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center]] in the Philippines. The critic also took issue with some of the film's "disconcerting" images. Turan concluded, "Some of the connections made are too obvious, like following images of ammunition with a portrait of a severely wounded veteran, while others are completely elusive. Shots of the devastation Katrina left behind in New Orleans are beautifully spooky, but does it say anything useful to follow that with images of Versailles? The makers of 'Samsara' want to free our minds, but their technique makes us their prisoners more often than not."<ref>{{cite news | last=Turan | first=Kenneth | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-samsara-review-20120831,0,2338594.story | title=Review: 'Samsara' is a frustrating beauty | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=August 30, 2012 }}</ref>

In the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', [[Roger Ebert]] awarded ''Samsara'' a full four stars, writing that it provided "an uplifting experience" through its use "of powerful images, most magnificent, some shocking, all photographed with great care in the highest possible HD resolution." Ebert extolled the film's capturing of images of what may eventually be lost to humanity and noted that there were also images that could reflect the reason for these losses.<ref>{{cite news | last=Ebert | first=Roger | url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120905/REVIEWS/120909994 | title=Samsara | work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | date=September 5, 2012 }}</ref> Katie Walsh, writing for [[indieWire]]'s ''The Playlist'', applauded ''Samsara''{{'}}s "technical achievements" and noted that the film used the "[[Soviet montage theory|intellectual montage]]" technique. Walsh said the film was similar to ''[[Man with a Movie Camera]]'', but took "the idea to new global and spiritual heights." She said of the film's entirety, "While one can discuss the technical prowess of these shocking and beautiful images, it doesn't do justice to the spiritual cinematic power of this work."<ref>{{cite news | last=Walsh | first=Katie | url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/review-samsara-tells-the-story-of-our-world-with-stunning-visuals-spiritual-heft-20120822 | title=Review: 'Samsara' Tells The Story Of Our World With Stunning Visuals & Spiritual Heft | work=The Playlist | publisher=[[indieWire]] | date=August 22, 2012 | accessdate=October 1, 2012 }}</ref>

==Filming locations==
''Samsara'' was filmed in nearly one hundred locations across 25 countries over the course of exactly five years. Some locations include: [[Angola]], [[Brazil]], [[China]], [[Denmark]], [[Egypt]], [[Ethiopia]], [[France]], [[Ghana]], [[Hong Kong]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Israel]]/[[State of Palestine|Palestine]], [[Italy]], [[Japan]], [[Mali]], [[Burma|Myanmar]], [[Namibia]], [[Philippines]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[South Korea]], [[Thailand]], [[Turkey]], [[United Arab Emirates]], and [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://barakasamsara.com/samsara/locations | title = Filming Locations for Samsara | publisher=barakasamsara.com | accessdate=January 28, 2013 }}</ref>

===[[Africa]]===

'''[[Angola]]'''
* [[Epupa Falls]]
* [[Epupa Falls]]


'''[[Egypt]]'''
[[Egypt]]
* [[Egyptian Museum]], Cairo
* [[Egyptian Museum]], [[Cairo]]
* [[Giza pyramid complex|Great pyramids of Giza]]
* [[Giza pyramid complex|Great pyramids of Giza]]
* [[City of the Dead (Cairo)|City of the Dead]], Cairo
* [[City of the Dead (Cairo)|City of the Dead]], Cairo


'''[[Ethiopia]]'''
[[Ethiopia]]
* [[Mursi people|Mursi village]], [[Omo River (Ethiopia)|Omo Valley]]
* [[Mursi people|Mursi village]], [[Omo River (Ethiopia)|Omo Valley]]


'''[[Ghana]]'''
[[Ghana]]
* [[Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop]], "Sodom ang Gomorrah", Osu [[Accra]]
* [[Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop]], "[[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodom ang Gomorrah]]", [[Osu, Accra|Osu]] [[Accra]]


'''[[Mali]]'''
[[Mali]]
* [[Great Mosque of Djenné]]
* [[Great Mosque of Djenné]]
* [[Dogon people|Dogon]] Village, [[Bandiagara Escarpment]]
* [[Dogon people|Dogon]] Village, [[Bandiagara Escarpment]]
* Cliff Dwellings near Terelli
* Cliff Dwellings near Terelli


'''[[Namibia]]'''
[[Namibia]]
* [[Sossusvlei]] – [[Namib-Naukluft National Park]]
* [[Sossusvlei]] – [[Namib-Naukluft National Park]]
* [[Lüderitz]] – [[Kolmanskop]]
* [[Lüderitz]] – [[Kolmanskop]]
* Himba village, Kunene
* [[Himba people|Himba]] village, [[Kunene Region|Kunene]]
* [[Skeleton Coast]]
* [[Skeleton Coast]]


===[[Asia]]===
;[[Asia]]
[[China]]

'''[[China]]'''
* [[Tagou Martial Arts School]], [[Zhengzhou]]
* [[Tagou Martial Arts School]], [[Zhengzhou]]
* [[Shanghai]]
* [[Shanghai]]
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* Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province
* Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province
* [[Beijing]] ([[1000 Hands Dance]])
* [[Beijing]] ([[1000 Hands Dance]])

'''[[Hong Kong]]'''
[[Hong Kong]]
*Lan Kwai Fong Hotel
*[[Lan Kwai Fong]] Hotel
'''[[India]]'''

[[India]]
* [[Thikse Monastery]], [[Leh]], [[Ladakh]]
* [[Thikse Monastery]], [[Leh]], [[Ladakh]]

'''[[Indonesia]]'''
[[Indonesia]]
* Tri Pusaka Sakti Art Foundation
* Tri Pusaka Sakti Art Foundation
* [[Ijen#Sulfur mining at Ijen|Kawah Ijen Sulfur Mine]], [[East Java]]
* [[Ijen#Sulfur mining at Ijen|Kawah Ijen Sulfur Mine]], [[East Java]]


'''[[Israel]] and [[Palestinian Territories]]'''
[[Israel]] and the [[West Bank]]
* Nablus Checkpoint, [[Nablus]]
* Nablus Checkpoint, [[Nablus]]
* [[Bethlehem]]
* [[Bethlehem]]
Line 116: Line 101:
* [[Western Wall]], East Jerusalem
* [[Western Wall]], East Jerusalem


'''[[Japan]]'''
[[Japan]]
* Lotte Kasai [[driving range]], [[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]]
* Lotte Kasai [[driving range]], [[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]]
* YK Tsuchiya Shokai Doll Factory, [[Tokyo]]
* YK Tsuchiya Shokai Doll Factory, [[Tokyo]]
* Osaka University
* [[Osaka University]]
* Atri, [[Kyoto]]
* Atri, [[Kyoto]]
* [[Fushimi Inari-taisha|Fushimi Inari Shrine]], Kyoto
* [[Fushimi Inari-taisha|Fushimi Inari Shrine]], Kyoto
* Toshimaen/Hydropolis, Tokyo
* [[Toshimaen]]/Hydropolis, Tokyo
* Yoyogi Park, Tokyo
* [[Yoyogi Park]], Tokyo
* Orient Kogyo Showroom, Tokyo
* Orient Kogyo Showroom, Tokyo
* Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International ATR, Tokyo
* Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International ATR, Tokyo

'''[[Jordan]]'''
[[Jordan]]
'''[[Burma|Myanmar]]'''
* [[Bagan]], Mandalay
* [[Petra]]

[[Burma|Myanmar]]
* [[Bagan]], [[Mandalay]]
* [[Mount Popa]], Popa Taungkalat Monastery
* [[Mount Popa]], Popa Taungkalat Monastery
* Mingun temple
* [[Mingun Pahtodawgyi]]


'''[[Philippines]]'''
[[Philippines]]
* [[Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center]] ([[CPDRC Dancing Inmates]]), [[Cebu City]]
* [[Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center]] ([[CPDRC Dancing Inmates]]), [[Cebu City]]
* [[Payatas]] Trash Dump, [[Quezon City]]
* [[Payatas]] Trash Dump, [[Quezon City]]
* [[Armscor (Philippines)|Arms Corporation of the Philippines]]
* [[Armscor (Philippines)|Arms Corporation of the Philippines]]
* [[Manila]] Streets
* [[Manila]] Streets

'''[[Saudi Arabia]]'''
[[Saudi Arabia]]
* [[Great Mosque of Mecca|Al-Masjid al-Haram]], [[Mecca]]
* [[Great Mosque of Mecca|Al-Masjid al-Haram]], [[Mecca]]

'''[[South Korea]]'''
[[South Korea]]
* Demilitarized zone, [[Panmunjom]]
* [[Korean Demilitarized Zone|Demilitarized zone]], [[Panmunjom]]
* Hyundai Glovis, Co. Ltd Shipyards, [[Seoul]]
* [[Hyundai Glovis]], Co. Ltd Shipyards, [[Seoul]]
'''[[Thailand]]'''

* Cascade Go-Go Bar, [[Nana Plaza]], [[Bangkok]]
[[Thailand]]
* Siriraj Medical Museum, Bangkok
* Cascade [[Go-go bar|Go-Go Bar]], [[Nana Plaza]], [[Bangkok]]
'''[[Turkey]]'''
* [[Siriraj Medical Museum]], Bangkok

[[Turkey]]
* [[Mount Nemrut|Mount Nemrut National Park]], [[Adıyaman]]
* [[Mount Nemrut|Mount Nemrut National Park]], [[Adıyaman]]
* [[Cappadocia]]
* [[Cappadocia]]
* [[Sultan Ahmed Mosque]], [[Istanbul]]
* [[Sultan Ahmed Mosque]], [[Istanbul]]

'''[[United Arab Emirates]]'''
[[United Arab Emirates]]
* Ski Dubai
* [[Ski Dubai]]
* Dubai Mall
* [[The Dubai Mall|Dubai Mall]]
* [[Burj Khalifa]]
* [[Burj Khalifa]]
* Burj Al Arab Hotel
* [[Burj Al Arab]] Hotel
* [[Palm Islands|Palm Island Development]]
* [[Palm Islands|Palm Island Development]]


===[[Europe]]===
;[[Europe]]
'''[[Denmark]]'''
[[Denmark]]
* [[Moesgaard Museum|Moesgård Museum]]
* [[Moesgaard Museum|Moesgård Museum]]
* Silkeborg Museum
* [[Silkeborg Museum]]
* Mariesminde Poultry Farm
* Mariesminde Poultry Farm
* Bøgely Svineproduktion
* Bøgely Svineproduktion


'''[[France]]'''
[[France]]
* [[Palace of Versailles|Château de Versailles]]
* [[Palace of Versailles|Château de Versailles]]
* La [[Sainte-Chapelle]], [[Paris]]
* La [[Sainte-Chapelle]], [[Paris]]
Line 174: Line 167:
* [[Olivier de Sagazan]], Paris
* [[Olivier de Sagazan]], Paris


'''[[Italy]]'''
[[Italy]]
* Mont Blanc
* [[Mont Blanc]]
* [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]], [[Milan]]
* [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]], [[Milan]]
* Teatro al[[la Scala]], Milan
* [[Teatro alla Scala]], Milan
* [[Catacombe dei Cappuccini]], Palermo
* [[Catacombe dei Cappuccini]], Palermo
* [[St. Peter's Basilica]], Vatican City
* [[St. Peter's Basilica]], Vatican City


===[[Americas|The Americas]]===
;[[Americas|The Americas]]
[[Brazil]]

'''[[Brazil]]'''
* [[Divino Salvador Church]], [[São Paulo]]
* [[Divino Salvador Church]], [[São Paulo]]
* [[Sé (São Paulo Metro)|Sé Metro Station]], São Paulo
* [[Sé (São Paulo Metro)|Sé Metro Station]], São Paulo
* [[Paraisópolis (São Paulo)|Paraisópolis]] favela, São Paulo
* [[Paraisópolis (São Paulo)|Paraisópolis]] favela, São Paulo


'''[[United States]]'''
[[United States]]
* [[Carnegie Hall]]
* [[Times Square]]
* [[Hunts Mesa]], [[Monument Valley]], [[Arizona]]
* [[Hunts Mesa]], [[Monument Valley]], [[Arizona]]
* [[Antelope Canyon]], Arizona
* [[Antelope Canyon]], Arizona
Line 197: Line 191:
* [[Mono Lake]], [[Mono Basin]], California
* [[Mono Lake]], [[Mono Basin]], California
* [[Arlington National Cemetery]], [[Virginia]]
* [[Arlington National Cemetery]], [[Virginia]]
{{div col end}}

==Themes==
Fricke and Magidson emphasized avoiding a particular political view in assembling the film. Fricke said, "We just try to keep it in the middle and then we form little blocks of content and then we set them aside until we have enough. We did all of this without music or sound effects. We just let the image guide the flow and then we started stringing the blocks together."<ref name="cs" /> Nicolas Rapold of ''The New York Times'' wrote that Samsara's lack of a specific message is "a departure from similarly expansive, globally conscious nonfiction films in vogue now, like the critically acclaimed work of [[Michael Glawogger]] ('[[Workingman's Death]],' which depicts the same sulfur mines as 'Samsara') and [[Nikolaus Geyrhalter]] ('[[Abendland]]') that also serve as probing sociological critique."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rapold |first=Nicolas |date=2012-08-17 |title=Planetary Poetry, Woven Into a Movie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/movies/samsara-ron-frickes-cinematic-portrait-of-the-globe.html |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Release==
===Box office===
''Samsara'' premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] in September 2011. In March 2012, [[Oscilloscope (company)|Oscilloscope Laboratories]] acquired the rights to distribute ''Samsara'' in the United States.<ref name="nabs" /> The film had a limited release in two theaters on {{nowrap|August 24}}, 2012. By its fifth weekend (September&nbsp;14–16), ''Samsara'' had expanded to 60 theaters and achieved the highest-grossing documentary release of 2012.<ref name="indiewire">{{cite web | url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/specialty-box-office-sleepwalk-samsara-among-years-best-indie-debuts-obamas-america-soars-to-overall-top-5 | title=Specialty Box Office: 'Sleepwalk,' 'Samsara' Among Year's Best Indie Debuts; 'Obama's America' Soars To Overall Top 10 | date=26 August 2012 | publisher=[[IndieWire]] | accessdate=October 15, 2012 }}</ref> On {{nowrap|October 14}}, distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories announced that at $1.8 million in box office earnings, ''Samsara'' had become the highest-grossing film in Oscilloscope's (relatively short) history.<ref name="oscope">{{cite web | url=http://www.oscilloscope.net/?p=798 | title=HIT DOCUMENTARY SAMSARA BECOMES OSCILLOSCOPE'S HIGHEST-GROSSING FILM EVER THEATRICALLY | publisher=[[Oscilloscope Laboratories]] | accessdate=October 15, 2012 }}</ref>

===Critical reception===
[[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a score of 76% based on reviews from 79 critics and reports a rating average of 7.00/10. It reports the critics' consensus that "it's a tad heavy-handed in its message, but ''Samsara's'' overwhelmingly beautiful visuals more than compensate for any narrative flaws."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/samsara_2012/ | title=Samsara | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=July 24, 2022 }}</ref> At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average]] score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 65% based on 23 reviews, reflecting "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/samsara | title=Samsara Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate=September 17, 2012 }}</ref>

[[Kenneth Turan]], reviewing for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', called ''Samsara'' "as frustrating as it is beautiful." Turan expressed frustration that the filmmakers did not name the more obscure locations, such as the [[Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center]] in the Philippines. The critic also took issue with some of the film's "disconcerting" images. Turan concluded, "Some of the connections made are too obvious, like following images of ammunition with a portrait of a severely wounded veteran, while others are completely elusive. Shots of the devastation Katrina left behind in New Orleans are beautifully spooky, but does it say anything useful to follow that with images of Versailles? The makers of 'Samsara' want to free our minds, but their technique makes us their prisoners more often than not."<ref>{{cite news | last=Turan | first=Kenneth | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-samsara-review-20120831,0,2338594.story | title=Review: 'Samsara' is a frustrating beauty | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=August 30, 2012 }}</ref>

In the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', [[Roger Ebert]] awarded ''Samsara'' a full four stars, writing that it provided "an uplifting experience" through its use "of powerful images, most magnificent, some shocking, all photographed with great care in the highest possible HD resolution." Ebert extolled the film's capturing of images of what may eventually be lost to humanity and noted that there were also images that could reflect the reason for these losses.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=September 5, 2012 |title=Samsara |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120905/REVIEWS/120909994 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811161020/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/samsara-2012 |archive-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=September 5, 2012 |title=A trance about the planet where we live |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/samsara-2012 |access-date=29 July 2022 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]]}}</ref> Katie Walsh, writing for [[indieWire]]'s ''The Playlist'', applauded ''Samsara''{{'}}s "technical achievements" and noted that the film used the "[[Soviet montage theory|intellectual montage]]" technique. Walsh said the film was similar to ''[[Man with a Movie Camera]]'', but took "the idea to new global and spiritual heights." She said of the film's entirety, "While one can discuss the technical prowess of these shocking and beautiful images, it doesn't do justice to the spiritual cinematic power of this work."<ref>{{cite news | last=Walsh | first=Katie | url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/review-samsara-tells-the-story-of-our-world-with-stunning-visuals-spiritual-heft-20120822 | title=Review: 'Samsara' Tells The Story Of Our World With Stunning Visuals & Spiritual Heft | work=The Playlist | publisher=[[indieWire]] | date=August 22, 2012 | accessdate=October 1, 2012 }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 202: Line 211:
* ''[[Chronos (film)]]''
* ''[[Chronos (film)]]''
* ''[[Qatsi trilogy]]''
* ''[[Qatsi trilogy]]''
* ''[[Home (2009 film)|Home]]''
* [[List of films with longest production time]]
* [[List of films with longest production time]]


==References==
== References ==
===Notes===
{{reflist|2}}
{{notelist}}
=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Official website|https://barakasamsara.com}}
* {{Official website|https://barakasamsara.com}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0770802|title=Samsara}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0770802|title=Samsara}}

{{Ron Fricke}}


[[Category:2011 documentary films]]
[[Category:2011 documentary films]]
[[Category:2011 films]]
[[Category:2011 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:American documentary films]]
[[Category:American documentary films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about spirituality]]
[[Category:Documentary films about spirituality]]
Line 220: Line 234:
[[Category:Non-narrative films]]
[[Category:Non-narrative films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Michael Stearns]]
[[Category:Films scored by Michael Stearns]]
[[Category:Documentary films about India]]
[[Category:Films shot in Ladakh]]
[[Category:Films shot in Reims]]
[[Category:2010s American films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Lisa Gerrard]]

Latest revision as of 16:43, 8 November 2024

For other uses, see samsara (disambiguation).
Samsara
Film poster
Directed byRon Fricke
Written by
  • Ron Fricke
  • Mark Magidson
Produced byMark Magidson
CinematographyRon Fricke
Edited by
  • Ron Fricke
  • Mark Magidson
Music by
Production
company
Magidson Films
Distributed byOscilloscope Laboratories
Release dates
  • September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11) (TIFF)
  • August 24, 2012 (2012-08-24)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
Budget$4 million[1]
Box office$6 million[1]

Samsara is a 2011 American non-narrative documentary film of international imagery directed by Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson, who also collaborated on Baraka (1992), a film of a similar vein, and Chronos (1985).

Completed over a period of five years in 25 countries around the world, it was shot in 70 mm format and output to digital format. The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and received a limited release in August 2012.

Synopsis

[edit]

The official website describes, "Expanding on the themes they developed in Baraka (1992) and Chronos (1985), Samsara explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of humanity's spirituality and the human experience. Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, Samsara takes the form of a nonverbal, guided meditation."[2]

Production

[edit]

Samsara is directed by Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson. The pair had collaborated on Baraka (1992) and reunited in 2006 to plan Samsara. They researched locations that would fit the conceptual imagery of saṃsāra, to them "meaning 'birth, death and rebirth' or 'impermanence'". They gathered research from people's works and photo books as well as the Internet and YouTube, resources not available at the time of planning Baraka.[3] They considered using digital cameras but decided to film in 70 mm instead, considering its quality superior.[4] Fricke and Magidson began filming Samsara the following year.[5] Filming lasted for more than four years and took place in 25 countries across five continents.[6] Three years into filming, the pair began assembling the film and editing it. They pursued several pick-up shoots to augment the final product.[3]

The crew used three 70 mm cameras for filming; two cameras manufactured by Panavision and one specialty time-lapse camera designed by Fricke. While the scenes were captured on 65 mm negative film, they were output to Digital Cinema Package (DCP), a digital output. Magidson described the process, "We're doing a combination of what we think is the best of both technologies, the best way to image capture and then the best way to output. Once we get into the digital environment, we're able to refine the imagery, we're able to save shots that we'd have to otherwise trash really for various reasons." Where they cut their negatives for Baraka, the negatives for Samsara were scanned then worked on digitally. The pair used the Telecine process to format the film to ProRes for the editing process and used Final Cut for editing.[3]

The crew shot from a bird's-eye view a scene of pilgrims surrounding the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. A 40-floor building was recently constructed next to the mosque that surrounded the Kaaba, so the filmmakers were able to film the pilgrims with permission of the building's owner.[3]

Music

[edit]

The score was composed by Michael Stearns, Lisa Gerrard and Marcello De Francisci. Stearns previously collaborated with the filmmakers on Baraka and Chronos, and Gerrard on Baraka. Unlike Baraka, Samsara was edited without music, and the composers worked on numerous sequences as separate pieces, before connecting. Magidson explained of the pieces, "It's a piece of music you can listen to as music as well that interprets their feelings to know that imagery in that sequence visually, so they're kind of interpreting it musically." The scoring process lasted between six and seven months.[3]

Filming locations

[edit]

Samsara was filmed in nearly one hundred locations across 25 countries over the course of exactly five years. Some locations include: Angola, Brazil, China, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Israel and the West Bank,[a] Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and United States.[8]

Africa

Angola

Egypt

Ethiopia

Ghana

Mali

Namibia

Asia

China

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Israel and the West Bank

Japan

Jordan

Myanmar

Philippines

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Thailand

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Europe

Denmark

France

Italy

The Americas

Brazil

United States

Themes

[edit]

Fricke and Magidson emphasized avoiding a particular political view in assembling the film. Fricke said, "We just try to keep it in the middle and then we form little blocks of content and then we set them aside until we have enough. We did all of this without music or sound effects. We just let the image guide the flow and then we started stringing the blocks together."[3] Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times wrote that Samsara's lack of a specific message is "a departure from similarly expansive, globally conscious nonfiction films in vogue now, like the critically acclaimed work of Michael Glawogger ('Workingman's Death,' which depicts the same sulfur mines as 'Samsara') and Nikolaus Geyrhalter ('Abendland') that also serve as probing sociological critique."[9]

Release

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

Samsara premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2011. In March 2012, Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired the rights to distribute Samsara in the United States.[6] The film had a limited release in two theaters on August 24, 2012. By its fifth weekend (September 14–16), Samsara had expanded to 60 theaters and achieved the highest-grossing documentary release of 2012.[10] On October 14, distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories announced that at $1.8 million in box office earnings, Samsara had become the highest-grossing film in Oscilloscope's (relatively short) history.[11]

Critical reception

[edit]

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 76% based on reviews from 79 critics and reports a rating average of 7.00/10. It reports the critics' consensus that "it's a tad heavy-handed in its message, but Samsara's overwhelmingly beautiful visuals more than compensate for any narrative flaws."[12] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 65% based on 23 reviews, reflecting "generally favorable reviews".[13]

Kenneth Turan, reviewing for the Los Angeles Times, called Samsara "as frustrating as it is beautiful." Turan expressed frustration that the filmmakers did not name the more obscure locations, such as the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines. The critic also took issue with some of the film's "disconcerting" images. Turan concluded, "Some of the connections made are too obvious, like following images of ammunition with a portrait of a severely wounded veteran, while others are completely elusive. Shots of the devastation Katrina left behind in New Orleans are beautifully spooky, but does it say anything useful to follow that with images of Versailles? The makers of 'Samsara' want to free our minds, but their technique makes us their prisoners more often than not."[14]

In the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert awarded Samsara a full four stars, writing that it provided "an uplifting experience" through its use "of powerful images, most magnificent, some shocking, all photographed with great care in the highest possible HD resolution." Ebert extolled the film's capturing of images of what may eventually be lost to humanity and noted that there were also images that could reflect the reason for these losses.[15][16] Katie Walsh, writing for indieWire's The Playlist, applauded Samsara's "technical achievements" and noted that the film used the "intellectual montage" technique. Walsh said the film was similar to Man with a Movie Camera, but took "the idea to new global and spiritual heights." She said of the film's entirety, "While one can discuss the technical prowess of these shocking and beautiful images, it doesn't do justice to the spiritual cinematic power of this work."[17]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Location listed in the closing credits as Israel[7]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Samsara (2012) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  2. ^ "About Samsara". barakasamsara.com. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Douglas, Edward (August 21, 2012). "Interview: The Filmmakers Behind Samsara". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  4. ^ Rapold, Nicolas (August 17, 2012). "Planetary Poetry, Woven Into a Movie". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Hayes, Dade (May 18, 2007). "Fricke directs 'Baraka' sequel". Variety.
  6. ^ a b McNary, Dave (March 14, 2012). "Oscilloscope Labs nabs doc 'Samsara'". Variety.
  7. ^ "Samara Credits" (PDF). barakasamsara.com. Magidson Films. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  8. ^ "Filming Locations for Samsara". barakasamsara.com. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  9. ^ Rapold, Nicolas (2012-08-17). "Planetary Poetry, Woven Into a Movie". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  10. ^ "Specialty Box Office: 'Sleepwalk,' 'Samsara' Among Year's Best Indie Debuts; 'Obama's America' Soars To Overall Top 10". IndieWire. 26 August 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  11. ^ "HIT DOCUMENTARY SAMSARA BECOMES OSCILLOSCOPE'S HIGHEST-GROSSING FILM EVER THEATRICALLY". Oscilloscope Laboratories. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  12. ^ "Samsara". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  13. ^ "Samsara Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  14. ^ Turan, Kenneth (August 30, 2012). "Review: 'Samsara' is a frustrating beauty". Los Angeles Times.
  15. ^ Ebert, Roger (September 5, 2012). "Samsara". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016.
  16. ^ Ebert, Roger (September 5, 2012). "A trance about the planet where we live". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  17. ^ Walsh, Katie (August 22, 2012). "Review: 'Samsara' Tells The Story Of Our World With Stunning Visuals & Spiritual Heft". The Playlist. indieWire. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
[edit]
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