Samsara: Wordless Evocation of Inspiration

Tuesday 24th December 2013

As those of you in the Northern Hemisphere living through it right now know firsthand, winter can be some of the hardest months for artists. There's something about the way the world feel that can block out creative inspiration, and despite the fact that it can make it easier to spend a lot of time in the studio, all the time in the world isn't any use if you're uninspired. This week, we're going to take a look at one of the most beautiful pieces of modern documentary filmmaking, the truly breathtaking film Samsara.

One of the most unique and visually inspiring artefacts out there in the world today, Samsara takes its name from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth found in many of the world's Eastern religions (namely Hinduism and Buddhism, among many others), making it both perfectly timed for the winter months when the world seems most noticeably being reborn and an excellent metaphor for the often-cyclical nature of inspiration.

The entire film is based around the moving image, with a complete lack of dialog or subtitles, only a haunting and moving soundtrack composed especially for the movie. Taking you on a journey around the world from the temples of Tibet to the wilds of America to a Chinese Shaolin school and the depth of Europe's most stunning chapels and many, many other places, the story (such as it is) is told in the sequence of the scenes themselves. It simply has to be seen to be believed, and can't be explained with mere words. The filmmakers were very careful to avoid any political themes in the work, although despite this there does seem to be subtext of the comparisons of what we find beautiful around the world, and what we place the most value on.

Released in 2012, the film was shot over the course of 5 years in 25 different countries widely spaced around the world, shot in truly stunning 70mm film. Currently available in full 1080p HD, it should be watched at the highest resolution you have access to - and if you're one of the lucky few who has decided to take the plunge into the early generation of 4K television, Samsara is one of the few pieces that will be available in the format.

Simply put: watch it, and take yourself away from the winter doldrums for one of the most visually impressive films you'll ever watch in your life. Check out the trailer below - and be sure to watch it in HD, full screen with your sound on. Enjoy!

Posted on December 24th 2013 on 01:49am

Labels: inspiration, samsara

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