BARAKA "The Silent Film"

Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson produced an outstanding movie called "BARAKA". In several languages, the word Baraka means blessing. Truly, this movie is a blessing. A blessing offered to those who cherish the environment, and a blessing chanted in the name of Nature itself. This profound hymn celebrates nature in a very powerful way given that there are no words to distract the viewer who can only allow his or her soul to be moved, accompanied by some enchanting music.

I was happy to recognize some of the places shown on the movie such as Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, the rain forests of the Amazon, Mount Everest, Auschwitz, the refuse dumps of Calcutta or the Egyptian Pyramids. At the same time, I was humbled by my lack of knowledge of all the beautiful places and amazing cultures that make up planet Earth. Seeing so many different ways in which human beings worship depending on their culture, brought to my attention that no matter how different they look, all peoples share the same basic needs whether they be Buddhist monks, Orthodox Jews or African aborigens.

Seeing images from the past such as the Egyptian Pyramids or Auschwitz, or from the present as in the war fields, reminds us that manking has always taken over his environment, but he has not always made the best of his knowledge. This film reminds us that it is the environment that sustains all life, human life as well. Destroying the environment by cutting down the forests caused the Indians of the rain forests to end up in the Brazilian slums. Man's domination over his environment has allowed him to improve his life; unfortunately, humans do not set limits to their actions. Consequently, they have moved away from a natural way of living, and their new fast-paced life in the industrial world has turned them into machines that lead an artificial life where man exists alone, cutting himself from the nurturing of community living.

Even though some viewers might miss the verbal interpretation that usually accompany documentaries, the film "Baraka" says without using words what we need to hear if only we would listen with our hearts and souls. Let's not be afraid to write the script that speaks so loudly and so clearly in the silence of "Baraka"; it will only bring more "blessings" to our planet.