Koyaanisqatsi
Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi was a sensation when it was released in 1983. The first work of The Qatsi Trilogy, this cult film wordlessly surveys the rapidly changing built environment in an astonishing audio-visual collage created by director/cinematographer Ron Fricke and composer Philip Glass. It shuttles viewers from one jaw-dropping vision to the next, contrasting beautiful images of untouched nature with scenes depicting humanity’s increasing dependence on technology. Koyaanisqatsi’s unorthodox cinematic style (including hypnotic time-lapse photography) shows us our changing world from an array of awe-inspiring and confronting angles.
‘Everything now exists in technology to the point where technology is the new and comprehensive host of the nature of life.’
Artist
Godfrey Reggio is a pioneer of experimental and poetic cinema renowned for The Qatsi Trilogy, including Koyaanisqatsi, a collection of audio-visual essays that chronicle the destructive impact of the modern world on the natural environment. Reggio, who spent 14 years in silence and prayer while studying to be a monk, has a history of service to the environment and communities including youth street gangs and underprivileged people. He is in the initial stages of production on a new film, working with a narrative structure for the first time. The film will explore the negative impact of consumerism and fundamentalism on the world. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is a frequent lecturer on philosophy, technology and film.
Koyaanisqatsi has won multiple accolades including the Audience Awards at the São Paulo International Film Festival (1984) and the Warsaw International Film Festival (1988), and a Cinema Eye Legacy Award in the US (2020). Reggio’s incredible career was recognised in 2022 with a Lifetime Achievement Award at Santa Fe International Film Festival.
Details
Venue
On Gadigal land
Golden Age Cinema
80 Commonwealth St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
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