Baraka - A truly inspirational and eye-opening film

In what ways does this film show our interconnectedness? Use specific examples.

There’s so much to say! So, I will just point it all down….

1.      The monkey in Japan in the beginning was my favourite scene. It had such human emotions, movements and even features. It was so peaceful, as if it was enjoying the cool air and the warm water. Serenity.

2.      The focus on the expressions and faces of people are similar; similar emotions, similar struggles, similar lives.

3.      There was a lot of focus on religion, showing that we all believe in something or someone or in a way of life. It was interesting to see similarities between the religious attire of the Jewish priests and it transitioning to the attire of the Catholic priests. There was a certain element of peace in all the religions practiced shown.

4.      Tribes around the world make their own music by simply opening their mouth, or even clapping and stomping. All members of the tribe seem to know what to do, what to dance, etc.

5.      The tribes shown wore bright colours, even though they do not known of each other and are located in different parts of the world. Unity is depicted by the fact that they dance in sync with each other.

6.      Creatures like salamanders and chameleons blended with the earth and their surroundings.

7.      The film focused on historical monuments like the statues of pharaohs in Egypt and the statues in Cambodia.

8.      There was someone sawing down a tree, and then it was focused on what seemed like ants, many of them, that live in trees.

9.      Countries are overpopulated. For example India and China.

10. People everywhere are always on the move – a focus on the United States and Japan.

11. People everywhere are leading monotonous lives.

12. The emotion in the faces of the people and the living conditions between a concentration camp in Awshwat and the Cambodia killing fields.

13. We continue to fight, we always have. There’s a focus on Tiananmen square and also of these statues of warriors that arguably one of the greatest Emperor’s of China, has his tomb guarded by them.

14. In India people wash, bathe and row in the river, even sacred rivers and lead a simple life, like the tribes that are seen.

How do cultural perspectives relate to a culture’s relationship with nature?

1.      The tribes that were shown all wore these bright colours as if to lend with nature in some way. They respect earth and nature and some tribes even pray to it and certain symbols, which can also be seen in some past civilizations. They find a way to build their lives around their environment, instead of bending the environment to suit what they want. They are very respectful to their surroundings.

2.      In India, the River Ganges is a sacred river and is worshipped as the Goddess Ganga in Hinduism. Thousands, even millions of Indians depend of the river to carry their daily life. They bathe, wash and go rowing in it. The river is so sacred to Hindus that when a person is sick, they would drink form the river to be cured. A vial of water from the Ganges in kept in many houses so that when someone is ill, they may drink it. This river is of huge significance to Hindus. The ashes of loved ones even scattered in the river. 

How does your culture relate to nature?

(Relating to my Sri Lankan culture)

1.      The Bo Tree is significant to Buddhism because it is where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

2.      When you start school, it is customary to give your teacher beetle leaves.

3.      There are these huge tanks that were built during th time of the Kings and they are very sophisticated in terms of the technology, and the irrigation system of the time and is still very impressive today.

4.      Avurudu (Sinhala and Tamil New Year) is celebrated because it is the harvest period and is when the “koha” bird flies from India to Sri Lanka. It is the time when the sun is directly above Sri Lanka, which would explain why a symbol that can be seen during Avurudu, is a sun drawn in a very traditional manner.

5.      There are many “kaviyas”, like rhyming poems, that are of the environment, nature, animals, etc. The kaviya tells a story.

6.      There are numerous folktales that take place in the jungle and/or are about certain animals. One example is “Nari Bana” with is about a fox. Another well known one by all is “Sinhabahu” which is between a King and a Veddha (Veddhas are the indigenous people of Sri Lanka that still exist).

7.      There are so many world heritage sites/ historical sites and monuments that have been carved or built from nature. Like Sigiriya, where the rock itself is not only a part of nature, but it was also carved to be a lion. And “Avukana”, a 43 feet high Buddha statue that was carved by one man out of one rock. 

8.      Sri Lanka is the only country in the world to depict an animal, the lion, so big on its flag.