Samsara

Samsara is a spiritual movie which captures life in our world - and it is weird and wonderful, shocking and accustomed. The word "samsara" itself means "to pass through states of existence", or reincarnation. It is used in various Asian religions such as Buddhism and Taoism, and the film is influenced by their religious aspects and also their simplicity. This film has no spoken words, no script. The world tells the story.

Through the film we discover that the world contains many stories and many ways of life. We see members of an African tribe with stretches and dreadlocks that make all the beauty trends of the Western world seem feeble. We watch Indians living in slums, Chinese Hindu dancers and a desert that has statues who gaze unflinchingly at the world through their stone eyes. However, not everything stays exotic, and soon the camera turns on the Western world. At first the camera lets us appreciate the light of major cities at night, with its blinking skyscrapers and cars. We've seen those things before. But we don't recognize the pictures of modernised animal factories. I am thankful that I am a pescetarian, and imagine how many people in the cinema must be close to vomiting their chicken wings.

As we watch our faces shift from recognition to astonishment. It gave me an urge to travel the world and see those magical sights with my own eyes. For now I will have to make do with buying the DVD and watching it all again, and again, and again.