Paper Sample on The Human Impact: A Global Documentary by Mark Madison & Ron Fricke

Introduction

The films a documentary was shot over 25 countries, and it brought together various sceneries to reveal what humanity is all about across five continents. It was shot on a specialized camera, computerized with a 65 msixty-five-millimeter camera lens (Santos, 2012). The film as aimed at all humanity to show the destruction and damage that human beings can cause on an industrial scale. The film produced by Mark Madison and directed by Ron Fricke was an acclaimed release of its era, and it was shot in a completely different video format than was at the time. The film was released on the widely known Blue-ray disk, which gave the film clarity and in-depth picture quality. The film explores natural events as they occur, life as it naturally is, and the technological advancements of the human race. The film shot over fourteen months captures all the social activities that lead to disasters and the progress of human life, such as technological advancements made over the years.

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The documentary is not one that utilizes narratives or voice-overs. It includes photographic evidence and uses time-lapse techniques to deliver pictures of a high-quality shot using a two-camera system. Some of the iconic locations the filming was shot from include:; lake natron in Tanzania, burning oil fields of Kuwait, Maasai Tribal celebrations in Kenya, and the church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. These iconic locations all over the continent give the film its distinctive feel of uniqueness in representing humanity's activities and the effects they cause. The many locations depict different activities that people do for income and the effects they have on the environment. Aerial shots from the sky’s and ground photo graphs show people oblivious of the eminent damage climate change presents.

The film was released in the year 1919 o on the 16th of July, and it featured no conventional narrative like the other documentaries as it was the norm. The scenes in the movie vary, showing the different lifestyles of people around the world with beautiful sceneries gracing the eyes from mountains to seas and oceans. The scenes cut across the world as they are captured from locations around the world and show the life human beings live. From bushes in Africa to well-built houses in the cities in Europe and Asia, the world is diverse with people living in different lives but with a common goal. The remote parts of Africa to the big cities in the developed countries show all human beings are connected, and the activities of one group affect the other in a different direction.

All the pollution and destruction of people’s economic activities are also shown in the film, and it depicts the driving force behind some of the most significant human-made projects. However, these projects of man are driven by another desire more profound and more destructive, profit. The burning oil fields of Kuwait signify the thirst for money without regard for the ate of the environment in later years. Even though human beings are profit-driven, it is easy for them to disregard others' suffering and be completely ignorant and blind to all the destruction taking place in the world. At some point in the film, a boy is shown on the streets seeking handouts, and people pass without helping him as if they do not see. People are busy with economic activities others going to extremes of polluting the environment to make profits. There is general ignorance for the plight of the underprivileged in society and as the film shows. It speaks to our inner beings through imagination when watching the documentary, they elicit sympathy and remorse for the environment and humanity.

Reasons for Interpretation

The documentary has no narrative and gives the viewer a chance to immerse themselves in the world from the scenes of the movie shot in different locations around the globe. It shows how people are so busy with life, disregarding essential human attributes such as compassion. Cities continue to thrive tall buildings everywhere but with a burden on the environment. There have been recent changes in temperature with some parts of the world experiencing high temperatures due to climate change resulting from human activities. The film shows it is economic activities that bring destruction to the environment. People do not, however, do much to conserve the environment.

People have forgotten their human nature and do not work towards making the environment better for future generations. Most individuals work towards amassing wealth with streets busy everyday people looking for means to make a living in the process destroying the environment in which we live. The movie reiterates what other films have been showing worldwide on the effects of environmental degradation. Manmade calamities such as oil spills affect aquatic life, and the gases emitted from the mines make it harder to protect the environment from degradation. The filmfil clearly shows the effects human beings have on the sustainability of the environment and the success of ensuring it is protected. The harmonious living and sharing of resources are in the past, people have moved to cities, and few remain in the villages carrying on the traditions.

Analysis/Evaluation

The movie takes the viewer through a range of scenes showing human beings' different activities from villages in Africa to big cities in Asia. Each scene shows the various aspects of human life and their actions and what they strive to achieve in their daily lives. The film shows people have forgotten their human ways and are more profit-oriented, judging by the economic goals they undertake regardless of the damage caused by such activities. The film is convincing even though there is no narrator compared to conventional documentaries; it makes it easier to understand the message by the great pictures from different scenes around the globe. The film took fourteen months to produce, and given the wide variety of locations it was shot from, it is well researched and presented. The author used images of people and things that can easily relate to our daily life, such as fast-moving cars, busy markets, burning oil fields, and beggars on the streets.

The film covers the five continents and shows all the beautiful sceneries and the effects of greed and profiteering on the planet. With only a soundtrack, the film is immersive, and it lets the imagination of the viewer roam around. It enables the viewer to make a judgment on their own through the pictures. It covers all aspects of human life from social to economic, and each time shows the appeal of the green lands in Africa and other parts of the world devoid of human interference. The effects of environmental degradation are not just on the environment but the human body also. The degrading climate has caused the invasion of human bodies by pathogens, causing diseases and a reduced human life span. The film does not show the effects these human activities affect their health. The film is compelling and informative to viewers on the destruction of the actions they do every day to the environment, and people should not forget their human ways and chase after profits.

Some of the scenes used in the movie are familiar affirming their credibility and authenticity. Some tribes have upheld their traditions since the advent of humanity, and they live in harmony with nature. It is touching to see a young boy beg in the streets people passing by not offering any help; it depicts the change in heart to what makes us human helping each other and working together in harmony. There is a disconnect between people living in rural areas and urban centers because, in urban centers, survival is dependent on an individual’s ability to seek money. As the film depicts, rural settings are communal living with people engaging in economic and social activities together. Different aspects of human life are covered in the movie and, most importantly, the effects of each action on the environment in which we live. In representing its theme, the film did not leave out anything as each scene presents a different view of the world. The director of the movie emphasizes on environmental conservation and the effects human activity has on the environment. It concentrates on human beings’ contributions other than considering how all organisms contribute to the destruction of the environment, such as the keeping of a large number of cattle by the Maasai communities in Kenya and other cattle raring communities around the world (Mwangi, 2007).

The view on the conservation of the environment is balanced because the effects of adverse climate changes are being witnessed around the world. There have been significant events such as hurricanes and droughts brought by climate change initiated by destructive human behavior in their thirst for profit and economic freedom. Environmental protection has always been an interesting topic because the survival of the entire species depends on how well the environment will thrive in the coming years (Bruckerhoff, 2007).

Conclusion

The movie sparks interest, given that it’s the daily human activities that contribute to the degradation of the environment. People have forgotten their human side and no longer willing to help those in need and, as such negligent to those they see require help. The movie inspires change to human behavior and the approach to everyday life. It is only through change that human beings will be able to exercise compassion for each other and the environment. The film brings to attention questions of accountability and who has the responsibility for environmental protection.

Reference

"Baraka" by Ron Fricke.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/" \t "_blank" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/

Bruckerhoff, J. J. (2007). Giving nature constitutional protection: a less anthropocentric interpretation of environmental rights. Tex. L. Rev., 86, 615.
https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-1431128521/giving-nature-constitutional-protection-a-less-anthropocentric

Mwangi, E. (2007). The puzzle of group ranch subdivision in Kenya's Maasailand. Development and Change, 38(5), 889-910.

Santos, W. (2012). Baraka with a Movie Camera: From City Symphony to Global Symphony. Wilson Santos, 28. https://wsantosblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/313/