Baraka – a film to promote understanding other cultures

[Boyd Roberts]

Understanding other cultures and outlooks can be one of the most difficult parts of the Award to address. The film Baraka (meaning “blessing”) may help arouse participants’ interest in other cultures. It is a documentary film without any commentary, and can therefore be appreciated whatever their language background. Originally released in 1992 it is available on DVD and has been on general release in the UK recently. It has wonderful footage of people in different countries living different lives, but edited so that we see through the diversity to some of the similarities between people. As a way of sparking off an interest in other cultures, it is very powerful.

The same filmmakers have now produced a newer film, Samsara, along similar lines.

http://barakasamsara.com/baraka/about