Baraka

Last updated by Darren on 30 September 2011

Baraka cover from Blu Ray

Baraka is an incredible nonverbal film containing images of 24 countries from 6 continents, created by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, with music from Michael Stearns and others. The film has no plot, contains no actors and has no script.  Instead, high quality 70mm images show some of the best, and worse, parts of nature and human life.  Timelapse is used heavily to show everyday life from a different perspective.  Baraka is often considered a spiritual film.

Baraka is now available on Blu Ray DVD

Baraka Blu Ray

Baraka has finally got a Blu Ray transfer, allowing the film to be seen in the quality that it was intended.

A unique 8K ultradigital transfer system was developed especially for Baraka to capture it to Blu Ray.

The new release includes 80 minutes of new bonus features.

The disc comes in 100% recycled material.

Order on Amazon.com for just $15.98, and Amazon.co.uk for just £12.98.

Baraka is an ancient Sufi word, which can be translated as "a blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds."  For many people Baraka is the definitive film in this style. Breathtaking shots from around the world show the beauty and destruction of nature and humans. Coupled with an incredible soundtrack including on site recordings of The Monks Of The Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery.

Baraka is evidence of a huge global project fueled by a personal passion for the world and visual art. Working on a reported US$4 million budget, Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, with a three-person crew, swept through 24 countries in 14 months to make this stunning film.

One of the very last films shot in the expensive TODD-AO 70mm format, Ron Fricke developed a computer-controlled camera for the incredible time-lapse shots, including New York's Park Avenue rush hour traffic and the crowded Tokyo subway platforms.

Some people find the lack of context in Baraka occasionally frustrating, not knowing where a section was filmed, or the meaning of the ritual taking place. However, the DVD version includes a short behind-the-scenes featurette in which cinematographer Ron Fricke explains that the effect was intentional. "It's not where you are that's important, it's what's there."

The DVD also includes behind the scenes footage, including scenes of the grueling shoot at Ayer's Rock in Australia, when a plague of flies of Biblical proportions made it impossible to film until they rigged up a vacuum to suck the bugs away from the lens.

Related pages

Overview

For me Baraka is the pinnacle of these films. The quality of the cinematography is outstanding. Shots flip from solitary Monks to crowded streets from great temples to images of war firing a hundred and one thoughts in your mind that you never complete. 

Baraka is not just about what you are seeing, It is also about how it is presented. Shots of monks will make you grab your backpack and head for Asia as soon as the film finishes, but you never make it as the shots of post war Kuwait and the refuse dumps of Calcutta remind you that us humans are far from perfect.  The decision to use the Todd-70mm format film could never have been easy. The extra cost and work is clearly worth it though, it leaves its mark against all of the other films.

Images

Tibetan monastery
Tibetan monastery
1 other suggestions
Himalayan Mountains
Himalayan Mountains
1 other suggestions
Mt. Everest, North Face
Mt. Everest, North Face
10 other suggestions
the light & darkness of mankind
Kathmandu, Durbar square
Kathmandu, Durbar square
10 other suggestions
Pashupatinath, Katmandu, Nepal
Patan, Nepal
Patan, Nepal
4 other suggestions
A yogi in India
A yogi in India
14 other suggestions
Hebrew Sidor
Hebrew Sidor
3 other suggestions
Wailing wall, Israel
Wailing wall, Israel
7 other suggestions
The Whirling Dervishes
The Whirling Dervishes
4 other suggestions
Mausoleum, Iran
Mausoleum, Iran
12 other suggestions
Esfahan
Esfahan
9 other suggestions
Buddist Monk, Swayambu, Nepal
Kuwaiti, Iraq: oil fire
Kuwaiti, Iraq: oil fire
1 other suggestions
Peace, wisdom
Peace, wisdom
10 other suggestions
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
5 other suggestions
Tokyo, Japan, the rush hour
Tokyo, Japan, the rush hour
2 other suggestions
calm before the storm
calm before the storm
3 other suggestions
Big Sur, California
Big Sur, California
10 other suggestions
Terraces Field in Indonesia
Terraces Field in Indonesia
4 other suggestions
Rice Fields outside Ubud, Bali
Angkor, Cambodia
Angkor, Cambodia
1 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
2 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
7 other suggestions
Prambanan Temple
Prambanan Temple
4 other suggestions
Borobodur, Java, Indonesia
Borobodur, Java, Indonesia
6 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
3 other suggestions
Borobodur, Java, Indonesia
Borobodur, Java, Indonesia
1 other suggestions
Prambanan, Java, Indonesia
Prambanan, Java, Indonesia
2 other suggestions
Kecak Dance, Bali
Kecak Dance, Bali
8 other suggestions
Kecak Dance, Bali
Kecak Dance, Bali
6 other suggestions
Kecak Dance, Bali
Kecak Dance, Bali
4 other suggestions
Kecak Dance, Bali
Kecak Dance, Bali
1 other suggestions
Kecak Dance, Bali
Kecak Dance, Bali
6 other suggestions
Kecak Dance, Bali
Kecak Dance, Bali
3 other suggestions
Bromo caldera Java
Bromo caldera Java
5 other suggestions
Mt Bromo, Java, Indonesia
Mt Bromo, Java, Indonesia
2 other suggestions
Volcanoes in Hawaii
Volcanoes in Hawaii
1 other suggestions
haleakala, maui
haleakala, maui
1 other suggestions
Dead tree
Dead tree
3 other suggestions
Solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
2 other suggestions
Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Islands
4 other suggestions
Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
Aborigine, Australia
Aborigine, Australia
7 other suggestions
Kayapo tribe, Brazil
Kayapo tribe, Brazil
4 other suggestions
Yanomami Tribe
Yanomami Tribe
5 other suggestions
Ghana, Africa: Ashanti Tribe
Ghana, Africa: Ashanti Tribe
12 other suggestions
yanomami tribe ,BRAZIL
yanomami tribe ,BRAZIL
6 other suggestions
wristwatch metaphor?
wristwatch metaphor?
2 other suggestions
Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Iguazu Falls, Argentina
11 other suggestions
A herd of Impalas in Kenya.
A herd of Impalas in Kenya.
6 other suggestions
RainForest, Brazil
RainForest, Brazil
1 other suggestions
Brazillian Rain Forest
Brazillian Rain Forest
3 other suggestions
Chuquicamata, chile
Chuquicamata, chile
4 other suggestions
Amazon tribe in Brazil
Amazon tribe in Brazil
18 other suggestions
slumses in Brazil
slumses in Brazil
4 other suggestions
Favela in Rio, Brazil
Favela in Rio, Brazil
3 other suggestions
Brazil
Brazil
2 other suggestions
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
3 other suggestions
picture of Jesus
picture of Jesus
2 other suggestions
Japan
Japan
6 other suggestions
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sao Paulo, Brazil
11 other suggestions
New York City
New York City
6 other suggestions
Shibuya Station, Tokyo, Japan
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station
3 other suggestions
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station
2 other suggestions
Shinjuku Rail Station, Tokyo
Shinjuku Rail Station, Tokyo
3 other suggestions
JVC FACTORY...
JVC FACTORY...
7 other suggestions
WTC north tower
WTC north tower
3 other suggestions
chicks
chicks
40 other suggestions
Japanese subway station
Japanese subway station
2 other suggestions
Poultry Farm
Poultry Farm
6 other suggestions
Park Ave. NYC
Park Ave. NYC
7 other suggestions
Yemen
Yemen
9 other suggestions
Untouchables in Calcutta
Untouchables in Calcutta
12 other suggestions
Av. São João, São Paulo
Av. São João, São Paulo
9 other suggestions
Midtown, Sao Pulo, Brazil.
Midtown, Sao Pulo, Brazil.
3 other suggestions
Vietnam
Vietnam
12 other suggestions
Vietnam
Vietnam
5 other suggestions
Ecuator
Ecuator
2 other suggestions
Prostitute in Ecuator
Prostitute in Ecuator
2 other suggestions
Kuwaiti, Iraq: oil fire
Kuwaiti, Iraq: oil fire
1 other suggestions
Highway 80 Kuwait...not Iraq
Highway 80 Kuwait...not Iraq
5 other suggestions
Iraq
Iraq
3 other suggestions
Kuwaiti, Iraq: oil fire
Kuwaiti, Iraq: oil fire
4 other suggestions
torture room. S21 bottom floor
Killing Fields, Cambodia.
Killing Fields, Cambodia.
14 other suggestions
This is not the Philippines
This is not the Philippines
9 other suggestions
Tiananmen Square, Beijing
Tiananmen Square, Beijing
1 other suggestions
Xian, China: Taracotta Army
Xian, China: Taracotta Army
3 other suggestions
Persepolis, Iran
Persepolis, Iran
5 other suggestions
Egypt
Egypt
2 other suggestions
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
5 other suggestions
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
2 other suggestions
Ta Prohm (Angkor), Cambodia
Ta Prohm (Angkor), Cambodia
2 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
1 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
1 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
2 other suggestions
India, Ganges river
India, Ganges river
3 other suggestions
The gaths of Varanasi, India
The gaths of Varanasi, India
1 other suggestions
Varanasi/Uttar pradesh India
Varanasi/Uttar pradesh India
1 other suggestions
India, Ganges river
India, Ganges river
1 other suggestions
Ganges river temple, India
Ganges river temple, India
1 other suggestions
Varanasi (Benares)
Varanasi (Benares)
4 other suggestions
fakir !???
fakir !???
2 other suggestions
Solor ecplise
Solor ecplise
5 other suggestions
Ryoan-Ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan
Ryoan-Ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan
Japan
Japan
3 other suggestions
Maasai Mara, Kenya
Maasai Mara, Kenya
4 other suggestions
Total eclipse of the Sun
Total eclipse of the Sun
7 other suggestions
dance of Dervishes
dance of Dervishes
10 other suggestions
greek orthodox church
greek orthodox church
7 other suggestions
A girl from Mashad,Iran
A girl from Mashad,Iran
10 other suggestions
The Ka
The Ka'aba
5 other suggestions
Mecca
Mecca
9 other suggestions
st Peter church Rome Italy
st Peter church Rome Italy
2 other suggestions
Church of the Holy Sepulture
Church of the Holy Sepulture
3 other suggestions
Ganges river in Varanasi, India
Japan
Japan
10 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
1 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
2 other suggestions
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
3 other suggestions
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
1 other suggestions
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
Luxor, Temple Of Ramsis II
7 other suggestions

Interviews

Here are some great interviews with the film makers.  Taken from the DVD extras.

 

Visual images include...

Tibetan monks, Orthodox Jews, Whirling Dervishes, a solar eclipse, Buddhist monks, African tribal rituals, Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, rain forests, Ayers Rock, Big Sur country, Hawaiian volcanoes, Brazilian slums, time-lapse footage of car and pedestrian traffic, post-Persian Gulf War shots of Kuwait's burning oil fields, burning-of-the-dead ceremonies on the Ganges, refuse dumps of Calcutta, Auschwitz, Egyptian Pyramids, Angkor Wat, Mount Everest, Tuol Sleng in Cambodia, Indonesian factory workers.

Soundtrack

Baraka has a stunning and varied soundtrack.  Primarily composed by Michael Stearns, but also including contributions from many other artists and performers.  Buy the soundtrack here.

The Book

'Baraka a visual journal' is a book containing 58 original still photographs taken by Mark Magidson during the journey that created the film. Buy the book here. The images vary greatly with content and style, from Black and white to colour, from letter box to full page. The book contains passages where Magidson describes the film and its meaning. It also has 36 small shots, with descriptions showing the people and equipment that made the film. I would strongly recommend the book to anyone who has a passion for the film. It is very nicely printed on Monadnock Dulcet and bound in Asahi Cloth, produced by St. Anne's Press.

Samsara - the sequel

Ron Fricke is working on a sequel to Baraka entitled Samsara.

Credits

Directed and filmed by Ron Fricke.

Produced by Mark Magidson.

Edited by Ron Fricke, Mark Magidson and David Aubrey.

Production supervised by Alton Walpole.

Music by Michael Stearns, Dead Can Dance, David Hykes/The Harmonic Choir, Somet Satoh, Anugama & Sebastiano, Kohachiro Miyata, Inkuyo, L. Subramaniam, Monks of the Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery, Rustavi Choir, Ciro Hurtado, Brother.

Read the complete credits and awards

Filming locations

  • Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Centre, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, USA
  • Ahmadi, Kuwait| American Express Corporation, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
  • Angkor Thom, Cambodia
  • Angkor Wat, Cambodia
  • Angkor, Cambodia
  • Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA
  • Auschwitz, Poland
  • Australia
  • Auytthaya Province, Thailand
  • Bali, Indonesia
  • Bang Pa-ln, Thailand
  • Bangkok, Thailand
  • Barrio Mapasingue, Ecuador
  • Bathurst Island, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Bayon, Cambodia
  • Beijing, China
  • Bhaktapur, Nepal
  • Big Sur, California, USA
  • Bodnath, Nepal
  • Borobudur, Indonesia
  • Burgan Field, Kuwait
  • Bytom, Poland
  • Caiapó Village, Pará, Brazil
  • Cairo, Egypt
  • Calcutta, West Bengal, India
  • Caldad Blanca Cementerio, Ecuador
  • Candi Nandi, Indonesia
  • Candi Perwara, Indonesia
  • Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Chinle, Arizona, USA
  • Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah, USA
  • Carajás Animal Reserve, Pará, Brazil
  • Cathedral, Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, France
  • Cathedral, Reims, Marne, France
  • Central Australia, Australia
  • Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, France
  • Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel
  • City of the Dead, Egypt
  • Cocinda, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, USA
  • Durbar Square, Nepal
  • Emam Mosque, Iran
  • Empire State Building - 350 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
  • Favela da Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro City, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
  • Galata Mevlevi Temple, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Ganges River, India
  • General De Guayaquil, Ecuador
  • Ghats, India
  • Grand Central Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
  • Great Hall of the People, China
  • Green Plaza Capsule Hotel, Japan
  • Greenhaven Correctional Facility, Greenhaven, New York, USA
  • Guayaquil, Ecuador
  • Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Haleakalä National Park, Maui, Hawaii, USA
  • Hanuman Ghat, Nepal
  • Helmsley Building - 250 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
  • Himalayas, Nepal
  • Hokke-Ji Temple, Japan
  • Iguazú waterfalls, Argentina
  • Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro City, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Isfahan, Iran
  • Istanbul, Turkey
  • JR Shinjuku Station, Japan
  • JVE Yokosuka Factory, Japan
  • Jadarta-Istigial Mosque, Indonesia
  • Jahra Road - Mitla Ridge, Kuwait
  • Java, Indonesia
  • Jerusalem, Israel
  • Jim Jim Falls, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Jogjakarta-Prambanan, Indonesia
  • Kailashnath Temple, India
  • Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Kasunanan Palace, Indonesia| Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Kediri Tabanan, Indonesia
  • Kediri-Gudang Gama Cigarette Factory, Indonesia
  • Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA
  • Kona, Hawai`i, Hawaii, USA
  • Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
  • Kunwarde Hwarde Valley, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Kyoto, Japan
  • Lake Magadi, Kenya
  • Lake Natron, Tanzania
  • Li River, China
  • Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Luxor, Egypt
  • Mancan Padi, Indonesia
  • Mara Kichwan Tembo Manyatta, Kenya
  • Mara Rianta Manyatta, Kenya
  • Massai Mara, Kenya
  • Maui, Hawaii, USA
  • Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • Meiji Shrine, Japan
  • Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA
  • Mount Everest, Nepal
  • Mount Tramserku, Nepal
  • Mt. Bromo Valley, Indonesia
  • NMB Factory, Thailand
  • Nagano Springs, Japan
  • Nara, Japan
  • National Museum of India, New Delhi, India
  • New York City, New York, USA
  • Nittaku, Japan
  • Northern Territory, Australia
  • Oakland, California, USA
  • Pasupati, Nepal| Patpong, Thailand
  • Peabody Coal Mine, Black Mesa, Arizona, USA
  • Persepolis, Iran
  • Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Phoenix, Arizona, USA
  • Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
  • Presh Khan, Cambodia
  • Pu`u`ö`ö, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai`i, Hawaii, USA
  • Pyramids at Giza, Egypt
  • Qin Shi Huang, China
  • Quilin, China
  • Ramasseum, Egypt
  • Reims, Marne, France
  • Represa Samuel/Dam & Lake, Rondônia, Brazil
  • Rio Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
  • Rio de Janeiro City, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Ryoan-Ji Temple, Japan
  • Sangho-Ji Temple, Japan
  • Shahcherach Mosque, Iran
  • Shiprock, New Mexico, USA
  • Shiraz, Iran
  • Siem Reap, Cambodia
  • Soi Cowboy, Thailand
  • Sonsam Kosal Killing Fields, Cambodia
  • Sormville, New York, USA
  • St. Peter Basilica, Vatican City
  • Swayambhu, Nepal
  • São Paulo City, São Paulo, Brazil
  • Ta Proum, Cambodia
  • Tampak Siring, Indonesia
  • Tegal Allang, Indonesia
  • Temple Gunung Kawi, Indonesia
  • Temple of Karnak, Egypt
  • Temple of Luxor, Egypt
  • Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China
  • Tiwi Tribe, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • Tomoe Shizung & Hakutobo, Japan
  • Tonle Omm Gate, Cambodia
  • Tuol Sleng Museum, Cambodia
  • Uluru / Ayers Rock, Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Uluru National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Uluwatu, Indonesia
  • Vandharajan Temple, Varanasi, India
  • Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Vatican City
  • Wat Arun, Thailand
  • Wat Suthat, Thailand
  • Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel
  • White House, Arizona, USA
  • World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
  • Xi'an, China
  • Yamanouchi-Machi Town Office, Japan
  • Yellow Water, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Zoujou-Ji Temple, Japan

Samsara Blu-Ray & DVD

Samsara Blu-ray and DVD
Buy from Amazon using the links below

» USA : DVD - Blu-Ray
» UK : DVD & Blu-ray (dual pack)
» Canada : DVDBlu-Ray
» Germany : DVD -  Blu-Ray

Contribute

DonateIf you've enjoyed this website please buy me something from my Amazon.co.uk Wishlist

 

This website is made with love, and does not make any money.  Anything received from my wishlist will help to make the website better,  Thanks, Darren.

Subscribe

Get the latest news and information

Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter with the latest films, DVDs and news from the world of non-verbal film

Syndicate content