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AUGUST 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
For nearly two decades,
Baraka
, the non-
narrative masterpiece shot in 25 countries
on 70mm film by Ron Fricke and Mark
Magidson, has stood as perhaps the most
visually arresting documentary ever made.
As film critic Roger Ebert put it, “
Baraka
by itself is sufficient reason to acquire a
Blu-ray player.” Its beautifully rendered
portraits of humanity on a vast scale,
intimate glimpses of world cultures and
stunning time-lapse photography rightly
earned the film a dedicated following.
So when Fricke and Magidson set
about making their follow-up,
Samsara
—
which, like
Baraka
, is billed as a “nonverbal
guidedmeditation”—they went with what
worked for them the first time around,
right down to the type of camera. “With
digital, there’s always something better
within a year or two,” says Magidson.
“Even though it’s difficultmoving filmstock
over borders, film allowed us to bring the
images back in a format that is going to
hold up over time.”
Five years in the making,
Samsara
weaves among 25 locations as disparate as
Mecca’s Grand Mosque and New Orleans’
Ninth Ward. In only one place were the
filmmakers denied access: North Korea.
“They have this mass performance that’s
done in the summertime every year,
where they have tens of thousands of
performers in the stadium,” Magidson says.
“We got close, but that was the big one
that got away.” Maybe they’ll have be er
luck in 2032.
aug. 24
Havoc and Bright Lights
, Alanis
Morissette:
The singer-songwriter
who catchily muddled the concept of
irony for an entire generation is back
with her first album in four years. It’s
a gentler affair this time, featuring
the single “Guardian,” an anthemic
ode to motherhood.
AUG. 28
Hot Cakes
, The Darkness:
This
throwback British metal band would
be easily dismissed as a novelty act
(the leather! the hairspray!) if they
weren’t so good, merging AC/DC-
grade horsepower with a Queenly
theatricality. Their new release
includes a Radiohead cover, and will
be supported by a tour with Lady
Gaga.
AUG. 21
O’ Be Joyful
, Shovels and Rope:
Shovels and Rope is a country-folk
duo from South Carolina playing
rousing and ragged music with
old-timey overtones on acoustic
guitars and junkyard drums. Keep
an ear out for the powerful single
“Birmingham.”
JULY 31
“
Forget what you’ve
been taught about
writing. Most of
it was hearsay,
rumor and the
well-intentioned
plans of people
who can’t write. ...
Almost everything
you’ve heard about
how writers work is
a myth.”
“Don’t let what you
want to say prevent
you from discover-
ing things you didn’t
know you could say.
Discovery always
trumps intention.
There’s more in
your thoughts than
you think.”
“Anyone who’s
impressed by long
sentences, jargon
and complex,
formulaic phrases
knows nothing
about writing
but a lot about
how to hide
things—especially
responsibility—
with words.”
“If writing feels like
hard work, relax.
It is.”
Past Perfect
Three new albums
that hark back
In Short Order
There are a million or so words available
in the English language, and
New York
Times
scribe
VerlynKlinkenborg
has
built a considerable reputation by choos-
ing among themwith elegant precision.
Tomark the Aug. 7 release of his guide
to the cra ,
Several Short Sentences
About Writing
, he shares with us a few
characteristically succinct
insights on how it’s
done.
culture
||
THEMONTHAHEAD
Time Lapse
An epic film’s long-awaited follow-up