Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio’s debut as a film director and producer, is the first and best known film of the Qatsi trilogy, followed by Powaqqatsi (1988) and Naqoyqatsi (2002), depicting different aspects of relationships between humans, nature and technology. Taking its title from a Hopi Indian word meaning ‘life out of balance’, the film, created between 1975 and 1982, is an apocalyptic version of two different worlds – urban life and technology versus the environment.
Consisting primarily of slow motion and time-lapse footage of cities and many natural landscapes across America, Koyaanisqatsi contains neither dialogue nor a vocalised narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and music.
Music & Film is produced by HOME in collaboration with the University of Salford and is supported by Film Hub North West Central, a partner in the BFI’s Film Audience Network, which aims to build audiences for film and present cinema in new and exciting ways.