TESTIMONIALS

“I am a documentary film editor and a professor at the University of Arizona's School of Theatre, Film & Television. I saw "Koyaanisqatsi" in 1987 when I was 16 years old, and it changed my life. A passion for documentary filmmaking was born, and I ended up pursing documentary film editing as a career. 

In my Documentary History class this spring, I once again showed my students Reggio's masterpiece, "Koyaanisqatsi." Many of them chose to write about it for their "reflection journal" assignments and I've been moved and heartened by their responses. Despite the fact that the film is over 40 years old, it continues to have immense power, which these students articulated in movingly eloquent ways in their writings. I simply wanted to offer to send along some of their responses so that Reggio himself (and others) could see the power that his film carries to this day.”

Jacob Bricca, ACE
Film Editor and Professor, University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television

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“I just wanted to say how thought-provoking this film was, which I watched for the first time yesterday. Well, maybe not just that. I was struck by how the flow of images, as opposed to their juxtaposition, drained meaning away rather than creating it, or perhaps it subverted it. For example, one might read into the exploding rocket towards the end as "a symbol of man's failure to harness the technology for exploring the future". But as the camera focuses on one piece of debris, I couldn't help but think of the ballet of spaceships in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Similarly, the flow of cars on the highway was reminiscent of Bowman's journey through the Stargate in the same movie. Consequently, it seemed to me that the flow of images having the effect of both free association and a suspension of meaning while we are absorbed in the second by second experience of sound and image, reduces the impact of any message the film might wish to have conveyed. Whether this was the intention or not, this was the effect on this viewer.

Anyway, thank you very much for a hugely provocative cinema experience. I only wish that I had been able to see it on the big screen.

BTW, I was also reminded of Man With A Movie Camera and All The President's Men, films I have written a short review of on my film blog alexandersblog.net. On reflection, I was too harsh on the Vertov!”

Sandy Cameron

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“My name is Jason Bagot. I'm a 29 y/o who's originally from Missouri, where I grew up, studied, and so forth until age 23, when I moved to Scotland, where I've been ever since.  In short, I just released my first experimental documentary/skate film entitled the same as the above subject.

I send this message today, for a few reasons, but first of which is to pay my respects to Mr Reggio, his body of work, and thank him for being willing to put out such radically different work for reasons beyond 'because I can'. His work has undoubtedly had a profound impact on my style and tastes, but also has impacted the way I view the world, communicate with it, and in this case, respond to it.”

Jason Bagot

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“My name is Joshua Jara, and I am a photographer and visual storyteller. Since I first encountered your work ten years ago, it has lingered with me—ebbing in and out of my consciousness, leaving a lasting impression. At 33, I find myself working on my first photographic book. This body of work is created in the tradition of photographers such as Walker Evans, Robert Frank, and my mentor, Joel Meyerowitz. The project will culminate in a very limited run of handmade books, crafted by me — from printing to binding — on a made-to-order basis. The reason I am writing to you is because of your own words. I heard them a few months ago, and they have stayed with me ever since. They traveled through the vastness of the Internet, carried in your voice through my phone, into the night. Now, they’ve come back to you once again:

‘It’s the price we pay for the pursuit of technological happiness. It’s the price we pay to keep having this kind of food service that we have, this kind of heating that we have, this kind of mobility that we have, this kind of ability to buy commodities, or to become a commodity, this kind of ability to be entertained to death, this kind of capacity to be unendingly connected to the orb of wireless technology. All of these things are so normal they are imperceivable any longer because of the forest for the tree. We're so deep inside of it, that it’s unobservable to who we are.

A way of life that calls for another way of living.

This is the kind of exponential world we are living in. It becomes almost impossible to get your head around it. It's happening all together all at once and it’s something that looks so normal that we don’t see it.’ - Godfrey Reggio

Since then, I have felt that you are the spiritual godfather of the work I am bringing to life. I would love for you to be present in the images through your words.”

Joshua Jara

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“So I was just in the Moab Library attempting (again) to put pen to paper on my 38 years of time travel from Manhattan, ultimately down 750' and 3 miles into Horseshoe Canyon.

On my first trip to New York one day I was getting tired of pounding the concrete canyons and as it was raining I ducked into the Film Forum intrigued by the word on the marquee 'Koyaanisqatsi'. I was, needless to say - but I have to, 'mesmerised'!

It made a profound impact upon me (and the film too). I came out of the cinema thinking that if only the UN delegates in town could be herded downtown to the forum..
14,000 Moons later I found myself in Moab on escape from NY, Covid, X & Son and learned that the haunting opening and closing scenes of 'K' were shot barely 40 miles away as the crow flies. When I finally got to the Grand Gallery I was the only human there. I was so entranced that I lost track of.. everything. I spent the night as 'firekeeper' for the Ancients, Burros and I - most amazing night of my life (so far).”

Colin Heasman

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“My name is Ilya I am 30 years old I was born in Ukraine. And I live here. I am very impressed by your film Koyaanisqatsi! I saw it for the first time! It's now 40 years after it came out! Now this film is on the 2nd place among my favourites after ‘The Sacred Mountain’ 1973 by Alejandro Chodorovsky. In my opinion your film is a Bad Trip of what awaits mankind! Again destruction and again all over again as it was already infinite times.... Thank you for this masterpiece!!!”

Ilya Bogdan

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