2005 Film Index Back to Main Site		Back Koyaanisqatsi USA / 87 minutes Produced & Directed by Godfrey Reggio Cinematography by Ron Fricke Edited by Alotn Walpole, Ron Fricke Music by Philip Glass Koyaanisqatsi is an internationally acclaimed motion picture produced and directed by Godfrey Reggio, with an original music score by Philip Glass. With the assistance of Francis Ford Coppola, who is credited as presenter, the film’s premiere caused a sensation at Radio City Music Hall in 1982 under the auspices of the New York Film Festival. The film went on to receive acclaim and recognition at festivals throughout the world including Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Madrid, Telluride, Bejing, Iran, Moscow, and Bombay. Koyaanisqatsi, based on the ancient Hopi Indian word meaning “life out of balance,” is a totally unconventional work conceived by Reggio in 1974 as a non-verbal film that would integrate images, music, and ideas. To complete this monumental project, he had the support of the IRE, a non-profit foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the work of brilliant cinematographer Ron Fricke, and the musical contribution of Philip Glass, one of the foremost composers of our time. This unique collaboration resulted in a fascinating motion picture that remains as original and relevant today as it was in 1983 when it was first released. In 2000, Koyaanisqatsi was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry. www.koyaanisqatsi.org