Samsara Film Techniques

Around the world there are many different cultures and religions. Even in small communities, for example the University of Arizona, there are a multitude of cultures and religions here on campus. Among all of these differences we share one thing in common, the circle of life. All humans go through this process, we are born, we live and we die, and in some religions, rebirth. The film Samsara by Ron Fricke is about the eternal circle of birth, suffering, death and rebirth. Frock captures scenes of religion and culture from all around world. In order to convey a strong message, the scenes in the film are accompanied by music and the absence of dialogue throughout the entire film. The documentary Samsara by Ron Fricke depicts us the importance

During this scene the camera angle shows the shot from many different points of view, first it starts off above the center of the Mandala and then slowly moves away while maintaining an angle above the art. The camera moves around the Mandala while it zooms in and out on certain sections to show emphasis on its beauty. These zooms combined with the angles allows the viewer to see the whole Mandala and understand the precise work that goes into the creation of this symbol. By showing these close ups and angles we understand how precious life is based on how much detail goes into each aspect of the Mandala. Towards the end of the film the Mandala scene is displayed again, showing the Monks completely erasing their work on the Mandala and putting the remnants of it into bag. This work of art translates to circle, this definition relates to the purpose of this scene which is to represent the full circle of life. The Mandala is created and then its is “killed” showing us birth, life and death. By putting all the different colors of the sand in one bag relates to regeneration because the sand will then be used in creating a new