Baraka

Described by its director as a "guided meditation" on the relationship between humankind and its environment at its best and worst, Baraka relies solely on stunning cinematography and Michael Stearns's magnificent score (with contributions from Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard) to evoke emotions and foster new perspectives, juxtaposing organic and technological phenomena, tranquility and war, timeless rituals and haunting visages, beautiful landscapes and scenes of horror. Filmed in 24 countries and deploying an array of visual rhythms - from the intimate, contemplative slow motion of the natural world to the pulsating time-lapse throb of megacities - this is an exhilarating and unnerving film that aims to capture nothing less than the very essence of life on earth.