The first of Reggio’s Qatsi trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi translates to “life out of balance” in Hopi. Through a remarkable collage of footage, Koyaanisqatsi weaves together glimpses of events around the globe: building demolition, bustling urban landscapes, bomb detonation, assembly line production, television, pictograms and more. Through this poetic use of moving images, Reggio traces the effects of industrialization and modern life on both our natural world and humanity. The film that first brought Reggio international acclaim, Koyaanisqatsi traces humankind's relationship with technology, the environment and, of course, one another.
