Koyaanisqatsi

In the Hopi language, this means a mess or a melée and that’s a pretty good description of this ultimate in observational documentaries. It starts and finishes showing us some of the most stunning and striking natural phenomena from the North American continent before gradually dipping its toe into the world of human endeavour. From some of the most impressive features nature created over millennia to some almost as remarkable creations mankind has erected in a tiny percentage of that time. Whilst not on the scale of the Grand Canyon, there are some human feats that are worth acclaiming here as Philip Glass’s score takes us on this tour. Now I didn’t always love that musical commentary. At times it borders on the soporific, but for the most part it goes hand in hand with some cleverly edited imagery depicting how we can be complementary to our planet and how we can be downright hostile to it. A great deal of creative care has gone into the chronology and the photography here as light, shadow, clouds, glass and some effective time-lapse cinematography shows an evolution of the natural, the industrial and the destructive. You do have to wonder if we’d only take greater care of what we have created and live in  a less disposable society, then so much of what we see here that is excessive could be eradicated and our place within the environment of the planet less devastating. It’s a surprisingly effortless watch for ninety minutes and maybe if more saw it, it’s powerful message of striving for greater compatibility might have more impact. I’m not sure the title actually helps on that front. I’ve no idea how to pronounce it, let alone tell folks to watch it - but if you’re reading this and you enjoy big scale drama, then this is hard to beat.