Baraka, a masterpiece of visual storytelling by Ron Fricke, uses only camera work and music to convey the human condition. It takes viewers on a journey from nature to cities to alienation, ultimately suggesting a path to healing through spirituality and reconnection with nature.
The film's title, "Baraka," is an ancient Sufi word that translates to "blessing" or "the essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds"
My son was born with an extremely rare heart defect, affecting 0.1% of all congenital defects. The odds of winning the Powerball is probably higher. Thorax surgery enabled him to fully recover leaving only a faint scar on his chest.
Hjärtebarnsfonden, the Swedish Fund for Congenital heart defects, used pure visual storytelling for fundraising in Dante's Heartbeats, directed by Marcus Ibanez. The elements used were
- Recorded heartbeats from Dante, a child born with a heart defect.
- A cover by Amason of Heartbeats from Swedish band The Knife, lyrics are at the end of this post.
- Black and white handheld cinematography by Erik Henriksson.
- Choreography by Joakim Stephenson.
The result is nothing but extraordinary:
Watching this short video, I felt my heart clench. It vividly brings to life that gut-wrenching feeling when your child's life hangs in the balance. There's nothing quite like the powerlessness that washes over you, knowing your little one has to face this battle alone.
All those doctors and nurses - the surgeons, the perfusionists managing the heart-lung machine, the cardiologists - they become your child's lifeline. And you? You're left on the sidelines.
In those moments, love feels like both everything and nothing. You pour every ounce of your being into embracing your child, desperately hoping it's enough. But the cruel reality is, sometimes it's not. The video doesn't shy away from that terrifying thought that keeps you up at night - the possibility of losing your child.
It's a situation that defies words, really. But somehow, this clip manages to capture it. It reaches right into your chest and grabs hold of that raw, primal experience of having your child in serious danger. It's not an easy watch, but it's painfully real.
If you are in Sweden, consider donating to Hjärtebarnsfonden on this link
And there's Human by Yann Arthus-Bertrand from 2015. Human stories from every corner of our planet. Love, hate, work, parenthood, identity, violence.. an immersion to the core of what it means to be human. Google has a behind the scenes of the aerial photography. Human has also been released without the stories - only the images and music. It is beyond words.
Baraka from 1992 has been re-mastered and released in 8K - hare is a new full-HD trailer created by fans....
And here are the lyrics for Heartbeat by The Knife
One night to be confused
One night to speed up truth
We had a promise made
Four hands and then away
Both under influence
We had divine sense
To know what to say
Mind is a razor blade
To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me, no
One night of magic rush
The start, a simple touch
One night to push and scream
And then relief
Ten days of perfect tunes
The colours red and blue
We had a promise made
We were in love
To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me, oh
To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me
And you
You knew the hand of the devil
And you
Kept us awake with wolves' teeth
Sharing different heartbeats in one night
To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me
To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me