'Baraka' is a 1992 non-narrative film directed by Ron Fricke. The title 'Baraka' is a word that means blessing in a multitude of languages. The film is often compared to Koyaanisqatsi, the first of the Qatsi films by Godfrey Reggio of which Fricke was cinematographer.
'Baraka' has no plot, no storyline, no actors, no dialogue nor any voice-over. Instead, the film uses themes to present new perspectives and evoke emotion through pure cinema. 'Baraka' is a kaleidoscopic, global compilation of both natural events and by fate, life and activities of humanity on Earth.
'Baraka's subject matter has some similarities to 'Koyaanisqatsi'—including footage of various landscapes, churches, ruins, religious ceremonies, and cities thrumming with life, filmed using time-lapse photography in order to capture the great pulse of humanity as it flocks and swarms in daily activity. The film features a number of long tracking shots through various settings, including Auschwitz and Tuol Sleng: over photos of the people involved, past skulls stacked in a room, to a spread of bones. Like 'Koyaanisqatsi', 'Baraka' compares natural and technological phenomena. It also seeks a universal cultural perspective: a shot of an elaborate tattoo on a bathing Japanese yakuza precedes a view of tribal paint.
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