The City Symphony
Koyaanisqatsi, 1982, 85min - Godfrey Reggio
Program Description:
Organism was made by time-lapse pioneer Hilary Harris, juxtaposing scientific cellular biology with the patterns of urban activity seen, often shot from above, providing exuberant time-lapse video of New York City shot over fifteen years. Koyaanisqatsi, with a haunting operatic soundtrack composed by Philip Glass, extends the city symphony form to a global dimension, building upon Harris’ techniques of time manipulation and aerial perspectives to deliver a meditative critique of the role of human civilization in this mesmerizing vision of “life out of balance.”