KOYAANISQATSI : Godfrey Reggio / Philip Glass

 

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance premiered in Santa Fe, NM on 28 April 1982.

In 1972, 30-year-old Godfrey Reggio began making a number of “advertising” spots sponsored by the ACLU for the Albuquerque, New Mexico viewing area, focusing on “invasions of privacy and the use of technology to control behavior.” The spots were so popular that people called the TV stations asking when they would be shown again. After the campaign ended Reggio tried to raise more money to begin another project, but failed. He was then convinced by his cinematographer Ron Fricke that they could use the remaining $40,000 to make a film.

After quickly exhausting their budget (resulting in about 20 minutes of edited film), Fricke moved to Los Angeles and worked as a waiter while trying to get jobs in Hollywood. Reggio continued to try and raise funds and the 2 began working together in 1976, traveling around the country and filming when and where they could.

In 1981, Reggio met Francis Ford Coppola who was so impressed with the footage that he saw, he offered to attach his name to the project in order to secure theatrical distribution. Reggio turned down offers from larger studios in order to have greater control of distribution and went with Island Alive (started by Chris Blackwell of Island Records), and Koyaanisqatsi was the company’s first release.

The film received significant critical praise and was a surprise financial success, due to support from college campus theatres and art house screenings.

Michael Nesmith’s Pacific Arts Video initially released Koyaanisqatsi on VHS and laserdisc.

Koyaanisqatsi also brought wider attention to Philip Glass, whose soundtrack for the film was released on Island Records in 1983.

My old friend and colleague, artist Micha Lewin introduced me to this extraordinary work and I watched the whole thing several times in that year and several times since (always a go to for a certain kind of mood) Miche had a sister who I think knew Godfrey and she had early or advance knowledge about it as memory serves but I am forever in her debt . . . . .