i saw baraka

 Akyles D. 

A movie about the human condition. baraka was mesmerizing, the imagery beautiful and the sounds captivating, some were annoying but still amazing. I found myself enjoying much of it, to my surprise, and falling asleep for a little bit at the end, to my shame. I have also found or developed an annoyance for an aspect of the "human condition", which is what baraka claims to illustrate. In part of Baraka, we are shown temples, markets, city roads not made of asphalt or concrete but of stone, steps that led to a body of water that was constantly used, ritual grounds, artistic marbles and castles all of them ancient and old and covered in dust, moss, rot and/or rust. this really bothered me because many of these places where in constant use, filled with people and full of activity yet it didn't look alive at all. why not? why are these places where goods are still sold, where people still walk, where they pray, where they pay respect to the traditions of their ancestors and even where they bathe in the waters of what I assume was a river or canal allowed to fade away. It seems so ridiculous to me to see something that appears to hold great importance or provides a great service be allowed to disappear as if people are not using it still, admiring it still, dependent of it still! if it wasn't in use or it was simply in the way Id understand why its neglected but that just wasn't the case for many of the places shown. It. . . it just bothered me is all.