Please reply with your thoughts and responses to the movie Powaqqatsi.
Also use this week's forum to post your ideas about your group project.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
This blog has been created as a forum for students at the University of Michigan enrolled in a course titled "Technology and The Environment", designed by Professor Joe Trumpey for the School of Art and Design. This section is lead by graduate student instructor Ashley L. Lieber
20 comments:
I thought Powaqqatsi was a very interesting movie. I really enjoyed the introduction scene, especially with the music. All around, I found the music extremely engaging and am interested in listening to more of it. I also found the images to be thought provoking. I really liked how the director was able to place different people from different places into a continuous scene that flowed together nicely. The only thing I wish that was different about the movie is that they had a location listed for each place/scene. I was really intrigued and wanted to know where most of the places shown were located, but I could only guess. However, a problem with listing the locations is that it would probably have broken up the movie and ruined its flow. Also, it may have ruined the message to differentiate people instead of the point, which was to basically show that everyone is similar throughout the world in one way or another. I did really enjoy the movie and am interested in learning where those places filmed were located.
http://www.spiritofbaraka.com/images/powaqqatsi/fullsize/powaqqatsi1047.jpg
Maggie Baczewski
ADP III Response: Powaqqatsi
The movie really illustrated what we talked about in discussion last week. The footage of the laborers was put in slow motion and showed how much slower time moves in countries without the technology to move as fast as we do. Life moves so much faster for us because things can be accomplished much quicker. In the footage we saw everything has to be done by individuals. They have to get their own water, food, and make their own clothing. The slow motion affect also made us feel what they were. Carrying something heavy seems like it takes forever and you can feel every muscle.
Kelsie Kaufman
Response #3
Powaqqatsi, like the previous two movies in the series, does an amazing job of impacting the viewer through powerful visuals and the accompanying soundtrack. After seeing Powaqqatsi I really began to question why more people aren’t inclined to avoid the grocery store prices when we can grow our own fruits and veggies for free. From seeing the many clips of various groups of people around the world farm their land and grow their own food, and knowing that now less than 2% of the people in the United States are growing the food for everyone else, I feel that it is vitally important that more people start growing as much of their own food as possible once again. Richard Reynolds, author of “On Guerrilla Gardening” says, “Reducing dependency on large supermarkets and eating food you know to be healthy are powerful incentives to grow your own.” Powaqqatsi gives us plenty of images showing people growing their own food with less resources, tools, and conveniences than we have here in the United States, so why can’t we follow suit? Considering the current economic crisis, I think we should be weighing our options and cutting down on grocery store costs as much as possible. Furthermore, the concern surrounding harmful additives in meat can be carried over into fruits and vegetables. Coming from all over the world, we can never be sure what kind of pesticides or other chemicals are used to mass produce the crops we buy, so why not grow your own and know exactly what is (and isn’t) being put into your body? Powaqqatsi contained many more ideas to contemplate, but the visuals of more self-sufficient societies left the most lasting impression on me personally.
For the group project, we plan to investigate further into the question of where our food comes from. Our group is going to gather information from as many local restaurants as possible to create some kind of reference for others as to where the meats (especially) and possibly other types of food come from.
Meredith Kramer
ADPIII: Section 5
Assignment #3
The visual impact that Powaqqatsi presented was astonishing. The first thing that struck me was the color. I really think that the way in which this movie was filmed made the message they were trying to spread that much stronger. Looking at these beautifully filmed images really made me think about the work that went into shooting that movie. What an amazing experience everyone involved must’ve had traveling to these locations, and capturing such intimate moments that the rest of the world rarely gets to see. What seems so foreign and far off to us as American teenagers viewing the movie is something extremely familiar and day-to-day to the people that live in these different environments. That is also something that struck me. All of the physical labor that they were engaging in wasn’t to exercise or make money. Most of it was to gather crops and grow the natural resources they need to survive in the world. I also liked that even though the movie had a serious and informative undertone, there were a couple of scenes that just evoked pure emotion. The scenes with the children were especially uplifting because it showed us the ways in which these children still play with one another like any other child in the world and find ways to amuse themselves and have fun. Watching this movie was a way to learn about other third world nations in a visual and artistic way, rather than just reading mundane articles. The fact that there was only music and no narration was also something that set this movie apart from the pack, and I think it was a successful idea. Our brains were fixated on the images, and we were left with our own thoughts and emotions about what we were watching. It definitely left me wanting to learn more about what I had just seen.
Samantha Orshan
ADP III: Section 5
Summary #3
The movie Powaqqatsi had one of the most incredible sound tracks, visual images, and landscapes. This movie truly impacted me, especially because the images of all of these places were so stunning and beautiful, and made me realize that we forget how beautiful the world really is. The music was extremely moving and very engaging, I really enjoyed it a lot. The scene where they showed the people carrying heavy objects in slow motion reminded me of our class discussion regarding how our society moves at such a fast pace. The slow motion made me see how heavy and difficult it is to live in such conditions, and how almost primitive life is in these third world countries. These people live to survive. They are supplying almost the entire world with fruits and vegetables, and they work harder then most of us ever could imagine. Like I said in my previous summary, I do believe that Americans have the ability to grow their own fruits and vegetables in their own backyards. Especially now with the economy in the tragic state it is in, it is so important that we learn to fend for ourselves and not depend so much on grocery stores and supermarkets.
Powaqqatsi really struck me, especially because it was so artistic and beautifully done. It made me want to travel to these countries and understand what life is really like. The images the movie used were so incredible and had such a greater impact then just hearing or reading about what life is like. It showed people surviving and living their lives. It also showed young children still playing together, playing games, and using their imagination to make the best of what they have.
Erica Mouns
Section 5
Post3
Powaqqatsi: A way of life.
Learning what Powaqqatsi meant made me think about the film in a new way. The video shows so many different ways of life. It is hard to imagine a different world when I spend every day going to class and living in my apartment and doing homework. But there are people who do seem to live in a completely different world. Some of the images showed a very clear contrast between different societies. The tall apartment buildings versus small huts made of dirt. The opening scene shows a life that I could never imagine, however when I looked closely at the workers of the mine they are wearing regular shoes and clothing that I would see in America and it made me realize that I could just as easily be in their situation.
Professor Trumpey had said that this mine is still working today. What are they mining? Is that their countries economic backbone? Are there any other jobs available to these people? Another thing I was thinking about while watching the video was the lack of technology in so many of the places. How can our society be so reliant on technology and it is so absent in theirs? If third world countries had access to even the smallest amount of technology it could completely change their society. I wasn’t expecting the movie to only have music, but I think it helped to make the audience really think about what was happening in the image. I related the images to my own life and I had more of a connection with the movie because there was no narration.
My group was just formed a few days ago for the group project and we do not have a solid idea of what we would like to do for the project. However, I have started the field research project and I thought I could share my ideas about that instead. I visited the Mattahei Botanical Gardens on Friday. I would like to explore how our culture is so unconnected to nature that we need one special area in which nature is contained. This relates to A Sand County Almanac because that story completely revolves around nature. It is in every aspect of his life. How can we educate people about nature in their areas and increase public interest?
While watching the movie Powaqqatsi, strong images were displayed. The beginning really captured my attention viewing the men and women working and carrying the large bags on their back and over their heads for long durations of time. As the movie continued, I witnessed many physically exhausting and enduring tasks such as rowing, carrying large bushels of corn, washing clothes, and hauling various crops. Seeing these clips constantly reinforced the fact that our culture vastly differs from the culture featured in this film. We live in a fast-paced society and always striving for the latest and most advance technology. In America, we see abundance of many luxuries such as water, food, and gas consequently many people lack the respect in preserving all we have for future generations. We have so much natural beauty around us, but our priorities seem to be focused on building more roads, expanding more commercial buildings, developing more neighborhoods and not leaving our nature beauty intact. In Powaqqatsi, there are a variety of beautiful landscape photos showing the gorgeous views of the horizon, the water, and the mountains. In contrast, just like we talked about in our discussion, my family moved into a new house four years ago and at first there was hundreds of acres of open land but over the recent years the rolling hills and surrounding heavily dense forests have dramatically decreased. Why do we always want to have more of everything? Overall, I feel we live in a very competitive society, always striving to be the best. It appears to me that whatever field one is in, we are trying to be the leaders. In doing so, we might be neglecting the smaller, less profitable businesses, as they are trying to make ends meet.
In the film Powaqqatsi, the first images shown to the audience are those depicting laborers. The native residents must carry their goods, much as the people of rural Africa must carry their water; however, the Africans have been handed a solution, whereas the Powaqqatsi people have not. Where are their “hippo-rollers?” Why have Westerners deemed one civilization more needy than another?
On a lighter note, this film proves that things can still be accomplished without using a great deal of energy. The community shown appears to thrive without an ultimate dependence on automobiles and cell phones. People are generally in each others’ presence, and transport is done by foot, boat, or bicycle.
For oversea transport, these people have built rafts, canoes, and sailboats. It is obvious that these boats have not been mass-produced for entertainment—instead, they are considered tools. They have been crafted to enable trade between regions.
For my group project, I am planning a benefit concert to be held near the end of the fall semester or the beginning of the winter semester. It will benefit an environmental cause which has not yet been determined. I will be in collaboration with one other student from our class, as well as an environmentally-conscious teen group in Ann Arbor.
—Eleanor Schmitt
Art & Design Perspectives III
Section 005 (Ashley Lieber)
Lindsay Bienick
ADP III: Sec 005
Assignment 3
When watching the movie, Powaqqatsi I began to realize the interconnectedness that these societies have; an interconnectedness that our society no longer recognizes due to the fast pace movement we strive to achieve. Each of these societies shown in the movie had groups of people doing what I call a chore for the well being of their own society’s function. Some were washing clothes, some were farming the food, and others were gathering water. The people seemed to depend on each other rather than a machine to get tasks done.
So what does this mean in comparison to American society? We Americans are constantly running around, filling our lives with duties. But these duties our for our individual well being, not others. Is this interdependence on others the key to living a happier, slow paced life? It sure seems like it plays a huge role in the pace of life. This was evident with the way the movie was structured: its dramatic music playing while slowly skimming over the various jobs of the societies. The film producer did a terrific job of allowing the viewer to really settle into the idea of “slow pace,” especially without using words to tell the story, but rather visual images. The film also portrays the society’s love for the land. Because the people work one on one with the land, it is clear they have grown a deep connection and love for the land. This is reflected in the beautiful land structures they have created. Altogether, our American society is clearly lacking in the ability to slow down and to appreciate nature. Powaqqatsi made it apparent that other societies, especially those who are dependent on each member, still know how to enjoy and respect life in a simple manner.
As for the project, my group and I are trying to create a fourth grade curriculum on sustainability and the environment to integrate into local schools. This curriculum will cover the national benchmarks for science, along with adding new facts and ways to improve children’s’ knowledge on the environment and how to treat it. We also plan to set up a website which teachers, kids, and parents can use to get involved and learn more. The kids will also be able to share their own ideas and experiences with nature. To keep kids aware of recycling, we or possibly the children themselves, are going to make posters with visual icons that show kids what goes in which bin for recycle, and what goes in the garbage. And finally, we plan to have a large event with our target school that will involve various activities for the kids and parents to learn more.
Samuel Hanson
ADP3 Blog
September 29, 2008
The first thing that struck me about Powaqqatsi was the visual imagery. The director was clearly concerned with every single image, the order in which they appeared, and how they play with the music. Using the music as a cue, he pairs imagery of farmers in third world countries and construction workers climbing million-dollar cranes, high above a city. The theme that I found interesting was the focus on the everyday laborer. The director seemed interested first in the everyday work that has to be done in order for survival, no matter how brutal it may be and secondly on how he can make an impact with such a simple thing. The seemingly everyday tasks are given a whole new meaning by the way that he uses his camera, paired with the musical soundtrack by Philip Glass. He pairs the slow, primitive tasks such as getting water with the quick "high tech" environment of today. The realization that these two types of tasks both still appear in todays societies, it made me think about how technology is so important, but at the same time ruins the beauty of many ways of life.
Powaqqatsi was to me an extremely visually and auditorily intersting film. The colors were rich and vibrant, and the soundtrack emotionally evocative and mostly uplifting/inspiring. I think the decision to include no narration or captions made the film more intellectually engaging, as the audience must rely on their own experiences to form some idea of where each of the various scenes depicted takes place. It shows that many parts of the world still rely on human power, and while not explicitly so, contrasts this situation with that of our society, in which we have machines and appliances to perform nearly every task we once accomplished with manual labor, from washing clothes to hauling heavy loads to winnowing grain. And yet, since this contrast is only implied in the audience by their own experiances, the film cannot be said to be making any sort of commentary or judgement on the audience: any guilt felt while viewing Powaqqatsi is, of course, self-inflicted.
Dylan Caple
Alyssa Ackerman
section 5
I thought the first hour of this movie was extremely well done. Using strong imagery and music, it told a story while avoiding a narration. It showed landscape and people manipulating it. The majority of jobs were done outside, and were done with groups of people. This sense of community ceases to exist in our modern work place and the cubicles that infest it. Working along each other, members of that society not only can relate with each other, but can related with the land, for that is where they spend this time. These jobs are physical. Body and land. It allows one to appreciate the land he or she live s upon, for this land is a necessity for the communities existence as a whole. It a huge part of their livelihood and their daily routine, unlike many of our modern jobs, where one leaves his or her house via garage door, entering the vehicle without ever having to step outside. Searching for the nearest parking spot upon arrival, and spending nearly 9 hours in doors and often times without a view of nature, if any view at all.
Images of farming and the market place, where the only option is local, and where people spend the day together and communicate with each other. No distractions. Everything takes time, washing clothes, bathing, etc. As if time is slowed down, even during what looked like immense amounts of traffic, the sense of rush was no where near what a NYC rush hour portrays. I would have loved to finish the movie.
The movie Powaqqatsi was powerful in its voice of life transformation around the world. The continuously changing scenes flew smoothly with a great selection of music, which created various moods throughout the whole movie. I believe the strength of this movie is "movement." By creating movement, the audience feels the rapid changes that are taking places in the world (To name a few of them are India, Tibet, Africa). In addition, watching images of culturally different people enhanced my understanding of how the world is divided into a clear distinction between social strata, poverty and wealth. As of now, life transformation is taking places around the world, and it is toward the wealth; it then leads to a high quality of life. Does the quality of life matter? It does, but is it really worth to destroy our environment to improve the life quality? A lot of scenes are based in developing nations, and the common thing I observed during the movie is that they are utilizing their environment while protecting it. Maybe the process of damaging environment is inevitable to achieve a life transformation.
As for the project, I am interested in energy sustainability in buildings or "green buildings."
Buildings are no longer a structure that consumes a huge amount of energy. Different construction techniques and materials have been invented to achieve higher energy efficiency. Also, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has been adopted to incorporate the design elements and energy efficiency. My focus will be on different types of materials and environmental design.
Tae Hyung Kim
ADP III: Section 5
Response #3
The movie Powaqqatsi was powerful in its voice of life transformation around the world. The continuously changing scenes flew smoothly with a great selection of music, which created various moods throughout the whole movie. I believe the strength of this movie is "movement." By creating movement, the audience feels the rapid changes that are taking places in the world (To name a few of them are India, Tibet, Africa). In addition, watching images of culturally different people enhanced my understanding of how the world is divided into a clear distinction between social strata, poverty and wealth. As of now, life transformation is taking places around the world, and it is toward the wealth; it then leads to a high quality of life. Does the quality of life matter? It does, but is it really worth to destroy our environment to improve the life quality? A lot of scenes are based in developing nations, and the common thing I observed during the movie is that they are utilizing their environment while protecting it. Maybe the process of damaging environment is inevitable to achieve a life transformation.
As for the project, I am interested in energy sustainability in buildings or "green buildings."
Buildings are no longer a structure that consumes a huge amount of energy. Different construction techniques and materials have been invented to achieve higher energy efficiency. Also, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has been adopted to incorporate the design elements and energy efficiency. My focus will be on different types of materials and environmental design.
The movie Powaqqatsi was really boring, technically the imagery was interesting, but i found it really hard to pay attention because it had no dialogue. My mind was wondering on other things, the music was not enough. Also the imagery was really disturbing at times, in the beginning it showed dirty workers busting their bodies carrying heavy thing up a hill, i mean obviously this was happening somewhere, but it reminded me of the idea of slavery which is really disturbing to me. i don't know what the point of it is. http://www.wcl.american.edu/hrbrief/v5i1/pics/migrant2.gif this a picture that reminds me of the film
Oh GAWD, you never think that after listening to people gab on all day it's going to be so difficult to pay attention to something that involves absolutely no talking. But it was. I'm not complaining about the film here, but my own need to be engaged by the people on screen. The music went along beautifully with the pace of the film and the actions of the people in it. I appreciated that.
My attention fizzled in sometimes, and during those times I was saddened, disappointed and anxious. These people are amazing, their society is amazing, and days after watching the film I am still wondering "What exactly am I doing on this planet?" I feel like I consume consume consume, watch television, drink beer, don't contribute, make efforts to be antisocial. These people worked together as if they were born to do so. And they were, weren't they? People are pack animals. Supposedly we all work for the greater happiness and comfort of the group. That's what these people were doing-tilling and picking and carrying, the details are alien to me, I've never participated in something like that. I try to think of what I've given to the world. I uh, work largely in food service, doing a sub-par job doing things like baking pre-made frozen cookie dough and sorting flatware. I suppose that helps, helps people who want cookies or clean forks. But I would never ever do these things pro-bono.
Aha, but now I've thought of something. From August 2007 to August 2008 I lived in co-ops. For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, google it or something. There, all the residents worked for the good of everyone, washing dishes, making dinner, cleaning. But the difference between me and my housemates and the folks in the movie is that we worked begrudgingly, cynically, as little as possible. It was just an obligation. How do these folks make it seem like something they want to do? They make it seem like they want to work as hard as possible, because they're all almost family. That's a different kind of obligation. Gosh I'm jealous. What kind of place am I living in that I don't know any of these people and would probably never want to talk to them? Our environment, and I'm not talking animals and trees, would be 100 times more pleasant if we all just smiled at each other and helped each other out. There's an unfortunate bureaucracy around being a member of the first world.
My group members and I are going to have a bake sale. Because we love FOOD.
Carolyn Nowak
Powaqqatsi is an eye-opening film that focuses on the transition of third-world countries into industrialized societies. With its stunning up-and-close imagery and heart-thumping soundtrack, I couldn’t help but be moved. It’s definitely not an everyday thing to see so many different cultures and so much manual labor being done. And unfortunately for most of America’s young people, this fact will probably still hold true for decades. As a developed nation, we’ve become so centralized around material goods and a high quality lifestyle that our land is slowly being replaced with machines. When I compare the film’s images of people from developing nations with what I see every day in the US, I wonder who the hell we are.
-Louise C.
Rachel McGuffin
Piwaqqatsi had this kind of unconquerable beauty. The cinematography was, for me, unmatched. Even the scene of all the workers was coarsely beautiful. Dirt and Grime and the human form struggling together for one mindless goal was simplistic and complex at the same time. It was definitely candy for the eyes. The first scene was like the myth of Sisyphus, all the toil is wearisome but alluring to us as a metaphor to the human condition. The same scenes portrayed over and over from different in a repetition that was not boring, but mid opening. As cliché as the concept is, it showed different perspectives and expanded the viewers thought process in a novel way. My favorite is the scene with the two women, silhouetted against the orange sky as they carry and empty the baskets on their head. It brings a person back to the altruistic beauty of the daily chores that most Americans shirk off. There was also this complex relationship between the scale of the shots, From the expanses of beautiful canyon land to the simple hand work of one woman. It makes one feel as if this is all the world and our slice of the planet is miniscule and meaningless. I might just have to rent Piwaqqatsi for myself.
Rachel McGuffin
The movie Powaqqatsi was powerful in its voice of life transformation around the world. The continuously changing scenes flew smoothly with a great selection of music, which created various moods throughout the whole movie. I believe the strength of this movie is "movement." By creating movement, the audience feels the rapid changes that are taking places in the world (To name a few of them are India, Tibet, Africa). In addition, watching images of culturally different people enhanced my understanding of how the world is divided into a clear distinction between social strata, poverty and wealth. As of now, life transformation is taking places around the world, and it is toward the wealth; it then leads to a high quality of life. Does the quality of life matter? It does, but is it really worth to destroy our environment to improve the life quality? A lot of scenes are based in developing nations, and the common thing I observed during the movie is that they are utilizing their environment while protecting it. Maybe the process of damaging environment is inevitable to achieve a life transformation.
As for the project, I am interested in energy sustainability in buildings or "green buildings."
Buildings are no longer a structure that consumes a huge amount of energy. Different construction techniques and materials have been invented to achieve higher energy efficiency. Also, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has been adopted to incorporate the design elements and energy efficiency. My focus will be on different types of materials and environmental design.
Tae Hyung Kim
Post a Comment