Kenya Archives - Sean Kelly On Movies

Samsara is not an easy film to describe. I guess you can call Samsara a documentary, even though it isn’t really about anything. I suppose my best description of the film would be “Avant Garde meets National Geographic.” It’s a film that you watch for the experience of watching it. There is nothing in the film but images, sounds, and music, which combine to make a totally immersive experience. The film was shot on 70mm (converted to 4K digital) and definitely looked absolutely gorgeous. While, the film begins with mostly nature and ethnographic images, the film does get a bit more experimental and odd as it progresses. There is a section of performance art in the film, involving clay and make-up, which looks to be straight out of a horror film. It was definitely one of the most interesting segments of the film. The film also gets a bit disturbing when the images move to a factory farm and food processing plant. This section is definitely enough to make someone vegan. Overall, I would say that Samsara is definitely a feast for the senses. It is a film that probably has to be seen in a cinema to get the full effect, so I would recommend seeing it on the big screen while you see can.10 | LOVED IT