Customer Reviews

1 Giant Leap

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Every year, there are a few media projects that capture the imagination, and provide wider perspectives on "life, the universe, and everything."
Here you have one. Or two. The Music is inspirational and poignant.
The arrangements draw from many cultures, with the musical performers being some of the best on our globe. Baaba Maal, Asha Bhosle, Brian Eno, and many, many more. The PASSION obvious in the screen production of the "1 Giant Leap," DVD is a joy, and a reality-check. Both. Throughout.
Some of the speakers are rarely heard outside of the books they write.
There are strong moments, as some in this arena have mentioned before. See it first before your children do, or as the DVD is segmentalized into "concepts," one can choose the parts appropriate for any particular audience.
The DVD is not a completely "light" feeling production, at times, but it is sparkling, at others. Highly recommended.
Can you tell...?

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the first public preview of this DVD last month at Yerba Buena Gardens, in San Francisco. This DVD is so incredible! It didn't take long to recognize the creative alchemy and authenticity that went into this work. The result is a treasure of profound beauty and thoughtful wisdom.

The music, the imagery, the story-telling and spoken word, all fused brilliantly with inspired arrangements... I've not seen anything else quite like it--1 Giant Leap is as thought-provoking as it is beautiful to watch. The information is densely packed, throughout. The DVD is initially set to let you play just one chapter at a time. This is to allow viewers to take it all in and evoke discussion. There is also a 'jukebox mode' to let the viewer create their own viewing experiences, as well as a 'loop mode' to play the whole thing in its entirety.

One Giant Leap is a a real treasure, and I whole-heartedly recommend it!

This thought provoking film is like nothing else. By truly capturing the universal essence of creative thinking, 1 Giant Leap takes you on a musical and philosophical journey around the world and explores the very essence of human nature. The captivating beauty of its' music provides a catalyst for hopeful contemplation while the dialog challenges the viewer to move beyond limited thinking. This amazing work erases the borders we create in our minds and asks us to move into a wider landscape of human experience where the things that we share far outweigh the things that seperate us. When men first set foot on the moon and looked down; they saw the world for the first time as it truly is, without borders. 1 Giant Leap, in a similar way, shuttles us out of our prejudices and egos and asks us to see ourselves as part of a universal community of humankind. This movie is not meant to be watched, it is intended to be experienced. In the viewing, you will be invited to participate in the marelous possibility of a world without physical, spiritual or creative borders. If you accept the invitation, you will be connected to the extended family of humankind; and if you are honest, you will connect with yourself. 1 Giant Leap is sublime.

Having travelled to many of the locations featured in this beautiful film, and getting a very real chance to relive some of those experiences by viewing this DVD, I can only say buy it-it is real. This is NOT a film about RACE as -myopically- stated by an earlier reviewer and it is NOT a new age look at the world - it is about SO many things-consumerism, religion & God, sex, love, life, mortality, music...it is REAL. This review is not based on whether this movie was conceptually, an original idea, but on the thought provoking content.
I could go on & on. Wonderful.

In order to thrive, ecologies need diversity. Functionalism has proven itself in the wild. What seems bad to us, if removed causes disturbance in the equilibrium of nature. As immune as we might feel, our cultural ecology is not excluded from the rule of diversity.

What can you say in two hours that will move your audience to action, thought and consideration? Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman wondered the same thing three years ago. They packed a grip (i.e., laptops, digital video cameras, and high-quality microphones) and hit twenty-five locations in twenty different countries in search of the voices of cultural diversity. The sounds, images and spirit they documented along the way they aptly titled '1 Giant Leap.'

Maintaining focus on the words, visuals, sound and spirit of some of the world's most significant thinkers, musicians, artists, authors, actors, and scientists, 1 Giant Leap is a cerebral, musical, visual extravaganza. It's an album, a movie, a documentary, and a work of art. Among the minds melded here are Stewart Brand, Michael Franti, Tom Robbins, Brian Eno, Grant Lee Phillips, Speech, Michael Stipe, Kurt Vonnegut, Dennis Hopper, Ram Dass, and Neneh Cherry. Diversity incarnate.

Take two hours and take a trip that will change you. Take 1 Giant Leap.

this is one of the best musical documentaries i have ever seen. the only reason it didn't get 5 stars is that somehow, the origional copy of this DVD is flawed. every copy i have seen of it, (one rented from my local library, one purchased through amazon, sent back and purchased another one, and one my friend bought from Borders Books) has been flawed in the same places. bummer.

-K.

For more than 2 months a local, independently owned theater here in Durango showed 1 Giant Leap to sold out audiences. In a time when peace, tolerance, acceptance, and unity are so desperately needed throughout our world everyone should experience the incredible results of Duncan and Jamie's ambitious undertaking. I cannot conceive of ever tiring of listening to the CD or viewing the DVD and am committed to spreading the word of 1 Giant Leap in my world. To Duncan, Jamie and all those who participated, many, many thanks for sharing your creativity!

This is a film that opens your eyes wider to the world community. It does so in such a beautiful,alluring and gratifying way. It entertains you with stunning music,visually striking and beautiful scenes and spoken dialogue while it initiates deeper thought about so many human issues that need to be dealt with individually and collectively as a human race. At moments you go "wow" at other moments you say "deep" and then at others you sigh and say the truth cannot be held back and we as a human race must do something....

I love this dvd and plan it as a gift for all adults I plan gifts for. That's how important I feel this film is. A "must see" and "must experience" musical and visionary experience.

If you liked the CD of the same name, or you heard the singles and liked those, chances are you will love this DVD.

It adds a whole other dimension to the music, and packs a hell of a lot into one DVD. If anything this superb exploration of music, culture and philosophy leaves you wanting more...

It comes with a nicely presented booklet with background on some of the artists encountered on their travels, and their experiences in far-flung places. The navigation on the DVD also gives you a number of options to interact with the material, and delve into the background of the recordings.

Beautifully done!

I'm not going to wax philosophic about this DVD and accompanying CD. I'm just going to say BUY THIS, BUY THIS, BUY THIS - stunning, beautiful, inspiring, thought-provoking, heartwrenching, amazing. The music is transcendent and the imagery is gorgeous. Ignore the guy from Ithaca - obviously one of the 51%....