blessing

The documentary Baraka exhibits important aspects of first semester.  The most prevalent is the idea of compassion and how it is felt through the arts (literature, film, etc.). Such as seeing the images relating to the Holocaust and genocide of Kuwait. My own personal heartache came from the burning of the baby chicks' beaks, and how you could see the pain in their face. I was overwhelmed with that same feeling of compassion, and wanting to change it. This idea is heavily what first semester and our final essay was focused on.  The wonderment  referred to by Brussat was seen in many images as well. The Balinese tribe doing their dance and the African tribe with their jewelry included in their rituals was beautiful to observe. It was amazing to see that sacred ritual take place, evoking the feeling of wonderment and curiosity for myself.

I found certain images more impactful and memorable. The baby chicks at the egg factory being thrown, sorted, burned, etc., were very powerful. They make one realize how much our society turns a blind eye to the truly horrible things that take place every day. Other moving images were those of the abandoned concentration camps of the Holocaust and genocide of Kuwait. It made me realize I had almost no knowledge of the genocide in Kuwait, which was saddening and powerful. The piles of bones and skulls still sitting there was the most moving. Other images not mentioned by Brussat that were very impactful to me were those such as the monkey in the spring near the beginning of the film. The zoom into his serene, relaxed face showed his resemblance to a laid-back man. The monkey was enjoying himself and the nature that surrounds us, something modern humanity lacks. The old temple or ruins with trees and vegetation growing through them made an impact as well. It was nature taking itself back, growing roots and trees directly through the old ruins. Some might have looked at this image as beautiful, to me it is sad and also powerful that the earth is trying to recover.