Have you ever found yourself watching the Qatsi trilogy but wishing it had a narrative structure? No? Well, to be honest I can’t say that I have either. But I will admit that sometimes I wish I could get some of my less patient friends and family to spend their movie night watching Godfrey Reggio’s masterpieces of so called “pure cinema.” This is tough though, most people don’t want to spend their free time contemplating the insatiable death drive of humankind and our frightening dependence on technology while listening to six hours of Phillip Glass tunes.Call me a snob, but I assume that most level headed people don’t generally like to stare at time lapse traffic patterns, clouds reflected in office buildings, and the placid faces of disconnected humans moving through their ultimately insignificant lives. Furthermore, it’s probably even less likely that they will watch a movie with some weird unpronounceable title while scrolling through Netflix, HULU, Amazon Instant or what have you. Let’s face it, your average person has never even heard of much less sat down and watched the Qatsi films, and they probably never will.So thats why I’m excited for “Surviving Progress”, the new film from executive producer Martin Scorcesse and directors Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks. Judging by this trailer it’s got beautifully composed cinematography and a haunting soundtrack just like the Qatsi films, but it’s also got a series of interviews with important people telling us just how fucked we really are. Ultimately, it forces us to ask ourselves the same questions, but without first asking us to figure out the meaning of the images being presented to us in the first place. Some may cry “heresy!” or “rip off!” (YouTube user “urckrecords” has actually already done this, dubbing the film “Ripoffisqatsi” on it’s official YouTube page) but I’m not so quick to judge.Why? Because I’ll bet you hot dollars that a good chunk of those people who haven’t and will probably never see Koyaanisqatsi will probably watch “Survivng Progress.” It’s got all the stoner existential fun of the Qatsi films, but it also holds your hand through the analysis. Call me cynical, but I believe the more people that understand and ponder the hidden horrors of human society, innovation, and technological evolution the better.Follow O'Coin on Twitter @OCOIN
Advertisement