Watch this when
Koyaanisqatsi
No words. Just a planet speeding up. If your life feels out of balance, this film gets it.
Who it's for
With no narration, Koyaanisqatsi gives viewers space to project their own experience onto its images, which can make a vague sense of overload feel seen and nameable.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Koyaanisqatsi is a 1982 non-narrative documentary directed by Godfrey Reggio, with cinematography by Ron Fricke and a score by Philip Glass. With no dialogue or narration, it uses slow-motion and time-lapse imagery to move from deserts, clouds and oceans to mining, industry and power plants, then to skyscrapers, freeways and crowded streets as the editing speeds up.
Where to find it
Rent or buy on major digital stores; Criterion releases. Streaming availability rotates; check JustWatch.
Before you start
Heads up: Intense, anxiety-provoking imagery.
Age: BBFC U (suggested 10+)
We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1
