Previewed last month on the Dish, the provocative Samsara is now in theaters. Ebert gave it four stars, calling it an "uplifting experience":
I met [filmmakers Ron] Fricke and [Mark] Magidson when a restored version of [their previous film] "Baraka" was shown at Ebertfest, and had the impression that traveling the world and recording these images was sort of their calling. Some of these places, structures, peoples and practices will not endure forever, and if this planet someday becomes barren and lifeless, these films could show visitors what was here.
"Samsara" may also suggest some of the ways in which it was lost. Although the documentary presents speeded-up images of city traffic and unseemly mechanical haste, for me the most unforgettable sequence is not one of breathtaking vistas or natural beauty, but of chickens in a food-processing plant [seen above].
Joe Fassler talked to the filmmakers about how they filmed the more difficult locations, including the factories:
"In the U.S., we got a lot of no's when we asked to show the kitchen where your food is made," Fricke said. Chinese producers, though, didn't demonstrate the caginess and secrecy that typifies large-scale American agriculture. Instead, they were happy to let the light in. "They were interested in showing the efficiency and cleanliness of their factory," Magidson said. "In fact, the poultry facility actually required us to put their corporate logo in some of the shots."
(Photos from Oscilloscope)
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