Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

thecurb.com.au

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 122 posts

Re: 40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

#41

Post by mfext »

canjobear wrote: post #19

Does anyone have any information on the Hopi prophecies quoted in the article and in the film? Are they documented elsewhere? It seems a little suspicious to me that the Hopi text so closely matches 1970s American environmentalism/anxiety about nuclear weapons. I suspect there has been some creative translation. I actually wrote to the linguist listed in the Koyaanisqatsi credits for the original text in Hopi and he…

Tough to say without being Hopi. There are many things they cannot share unless you’re Hopi. Same with other tribes. Curious, what did the linguist say exactly?

Re: 40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

#42

Post by 20after4 »

canjobear wrote: post #19

Does anyone have any information on the Hopi prophecies quoted in the article and in the film? Are they documented elsewhere? It seems a little suspicious to me that the Hopi text so closely matches 1970s American environmentalism/anxiety about nuclear weapons. I suspect there has been some creative translation. I actually wrote to the linguist listed in the Koyaanisqatsi credits for the original text in Hopi and he…

The hopi didn't have a written language. Their prophecies were an oral tradition which is somewhat recently (1963) documented as a written work: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Hopi-Frank-Waters/dp/0140045279

Re: 40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

#43

Post by hotpotamus »

canjobear wrote: post #19

Does anyone have any information on the Hopi prophecies quoted in the article and in the film? Are they documented elsewhere? It seems a little suspicious to me that the Hopi text so closely matches 1970s American environmentalism/anxiety about nuclear weapons. I suspect there has been some creative translation. I actually wrote to the linguist listed in the Koyaanisqatsi credits for the original text in Hopi and he…

Oppenheimer famously quoted the Bhagavad-Gita to describe witnessing/pulling off the first atomic detonation. I'd say that it was the first time that humanity actually controlled a godlike power, but gods and prophecies of apocalypse have long been a feature of religion. And it hardly seems surprising that native people would take issue with despoiling the land.

Re: 40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

#45

Post by canjobear »

mfext wrote: post #41
canjobear wrote: post #19

Does anyone have any information on the Hopi prophecies quoted in the article and in the film? Are they documented elsewhere? It seems a little suspicious to me that the Hopi text so closely matches 1970s American environmentalism/anxiety about nuclear weapons. I suspect there has been some creative translation. I actually wrote to the linguist listed in the Koyaanisqatsi credits for the original text in Hopi and he…

Tough to say without being Hopi. There are many things they cannot share unless you’re Hopi. Same with other tribes. Curious, what did the linguist say exactly?

He confirmed that he provided texts to the singers and coached them in singing them, but said he filed the texts away and then lost them.

Re: 40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

#46

Post by em-bee »

lioeters wrote: post #31

I was a teenager riding a bicycle through a neighborhood, when I came across a yard sale. Heard that someone had died. Among their things was a tape of the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack composed by Philip Glass. Bought it for a couple of bucks, and later that night was blown away by the music. I had heard nothing like it before - it made me shiver with awe and fear. It felt like the dead was reaching out through the sound…

i was playing the soundtrack in my home until my flatmates asked me to stop "because it is scary"

Re: 40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

#47

Post by JoeDaDude »

A high school near where I lived at the time (southern New Jersey) created a mural in the cafeteria inspired by, and titled, Koyaanisqatsi. And this was in the early 90's well after the film had been shown in theaters.

Re: 40 Years of Koyaanisqatsi

#50

Post by petercooper »

sfpotter wrote: post #14
Alex3917 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. Koyaanisqatsi might be more important in cinematic history, but Baraka is actually enjoyable to watch. IMHO the best use for Koyaanisqatsi is as an answer when playing charades.

I find Koyaanisqatsi very enjoyable to watch.

I hugely prefer Koy to Baraka, but the world takes all sorts. Baraka just feels like a lot of nice vignettes in random sequence. Koy walks through themes, builds upon them, then repeats them. It's more like a symphony.
Post reply on HN