Koyaanisqatsi & the personal images recalled -Leandra Jacobson

Leandra Jacobson
2/23/09


In the film Koyaanisqatsi, the images are used to form a narrative. The power of this style of film making is stimulating in that the message, with no verbal communication, extracts the message from a personal interpretation. The images recalled by the scenes are connected to memory, a completely unique experience with the film for each individual. I thought it would be an interesting “psychological pry” to delve into some else’s memory, and compare a select few scenes and what was triggered by the images. I want to focus on the personal reflections in the images, what they brought to consciousness from your own experience.


Opening scene: The flame and destruction pan out to a shuttle launch.

Jake Hamm is a photographer at Rochester Institute of Technology. While watching this scene, I immediately began to think of his style of photography. Jake and I were classmates in high school, and I remember how he once explained his style of work. He would focus on the close up image, a small puzzle piece of the whole. This is a photograph he took of me from about 20 feet away, zoomed in extremely close: It may not show if you are not my Facebook friend.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30449020&op=3&o=global&view=global&subj=31806123&id=1572900008


The steam: Close up shot of steam, pans out far away. Steam is being released from the earth.

I have been to several orthodox Catholic services with my friend David and his family. The steam and when the chanting chimed in recalled the experiences of these services. There are chants and rituals surrounding incense in a traditional Catholic Church service, which I associate with David and his family. This personal experience with Catholicism is connected with this family, and the images recalled by the similar process in the film.


Hot dogs: The people and the food being processed and funneled through streets, factories, and escalators.

When I saw the hot dogs being wrapped in who knows what material, I was once again reminded why I am a vegetarian. The food industry and mass production of meat is so unappetizing, reinforced by these images. When the film creates parallel images to humans, it reminds me of how that is not my life’s directional cause. Those images of people being processed like meat in a factory are equally distasteful as the meat itself. My goal in life is to avoid being part of the masses and the path predetermined for a “Suburban girl.” There is a plan for us all; a high school, college degree, work, marriage, and babies process expected out of Suburban females that I wish to stray from. This path is the general idea of what is expected from me that I do not wish to follow.


What images were recalled to you from these scenes from personal experience?

What I want to teach from this exercise was the power of images connected to language. I find it fascinating that this film contains so many messages across so many plains and how each individual has a unique experience with this film. This can be seen with other films of course, but this one in particular makes the effort to do so. Where in other films a direction of thought is given in the language, this one gives the power to develop an inner narrative on your own.