A 1982 Video Essay, and it still works

Koyaanisqatsi is a video essay. It doesn't have a plot. It just bombards you with images and an underlying soundtrack that evoke ideas an emotions by appealing to the senses.

Here's a good definition for the title:
koy.aa.nis.qat.si (Hopi) [n] 1. crazy life 2. life out of balance 3. life disintegrating 4. life in turmoil 5. a way of life that calls for another way of living.

The film is aptly subtitled "Life Out of Balance." It is part of a trilogy (I've not seen the other films yet), and makes a powerful statement, with a strong environmentalist theme.



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