Baraka [Hardcover]

Mark Magidson (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 1999

Producer Mark Magidson took these photographs during the filming of the acclaimed 1993 cult movie, BARAKA: A World Beyond Words. Shot in over 24 countries, the film is a visualization of the global rhythms of life. Images of rituals, landscape, and urban spaces from Brazil to Bali, New York to Calcutta, and the Himalayas to Reims Cathedral capture the interconnectedness of humanity and, define in pictures, the meaning of "Baraka," the Sufi word for "the essence of life." The film was awarded Best Picture at the Montreal World Film Festival and the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Society of Writers. The book itself is a deluxe presentation of 60 still photographs, clothbound with a tipped in plate on the cover, and printed at Stinehour Press.

"Drawing on the work and vision that led to his 1993 film of the same name, Magidson surveys the forces at play in a world inexorably shaped by both destructive fury and sublime grace."
Utne Reader

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: St. Ann's Press (October 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967174406
• ISBN-13: 978-0967174402
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 10.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,074,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baraka: A visual Journal is a visual FEAST!, November 29, 2001

By 

Soulcatcher Studio (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baraka (Hardcover)

This beautifully produced volume is a MUST HAVE for any fan of the film BARAKA, serious photography monograph collector or travel buff. The imagery is as varied as life itself. From the unspeakable horror of raging oil fires in Kuwait during the final days of the Gulf War to the contemplative beauty of a lone Tibetan Monk deep in meditative prayer. We see the inquisitive gaze of a group of Kayapo children in the Amazon jungle and the cold stares of armed Cambodian soldiers guarding a munitions storage area.

Mark Magidson, the film's Producer, has done a masterful job at capturing the beauty, power and mysteries of life, just as he and Director Ron Fricke did with the motion picture. Fricke firmly believes that nonverbal films like BARAKA must live up to the standard of great still photography which reveals the essence of a subject - not just the physical presence, but the inner workings as well. This volume is a great example of just that. The images in this book stand alone as a testament to the power of the still image and its ability to connect directly with the viewer.

Baraka translates as a blessing, or as the breath or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds. This process is so visible in the book--and the attention to detail is most impressive and appreciated.

Two of the most striking images appear near the beginning and at the end of the volume. They are beautiful examples of night photography time exposures with glorious starfields and mysterious rock formations a glow, in Utah and Australia, respectively. They only begin to reveal the mystery and beauty of the seemingly unspoiled ancient Earth.

Do yourself and your book collection a favor and purchase this one today! Then go out and see the movie again...in these troubled times it becomes a very uplifting, contemplative experience.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking!, May 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Baraka (Hardcover)

If you've seen the movie this book allows the same visuals without the VCR requirement. If you want a quick, breathtaking travel fix this is the one. A coffe table book for ALL travellers

5.0 out of 5 stars Baraka Picture Book, June 2, 2010

By 

Frank Gross III - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baraka (Hardcover)

Relive the sights of "Baraka" with this picture book. For you "Baraka" junkies this is the perfect coffee table book to have, well, ........ on your coffee table, and then when guests "happen" upon it you can tell them all about the movie.