On Thursday May 27 the film Baraka will be screening at the Mercury Cinema as part of the Adelaide Cinémathèque. It really is an incredible film, perhaps the simplest way I can put it is that it is the story of our planet. It has to be seen on the big screen, and such opportunities may not come up too often (I think my last was in 1996 or 1997). Roger Ebert put it very well in this review (for the Bluray dvd release which is about the first thing that’s made me think that maybe bluray is worthwhile):

If man sends another Voyager to the distant stars and it can carry only one film on board, that film might be “Baraka.” It uses no language, so needs no translation. It speaks in magnificent images, natural sounds, and music both composed and discovered. It regards our planet and the life upon it. It stands outside of historical time. To another race, it would communicate: This is what you would see if you came here. Of course this will all long since have disappeared when the spacecraft is discovered. (go read the rest of the review)

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Remember that you can’t get single tickets for the Cinémathèque, the minimum is a 4 film membership, but there’s plenty more coming up, there are films every Monday & Thursday for the rest of the year.