Reflection of Baraka Film

Prior to watching Baraka, I had a firm belief that the world is truly a beautiful place to live. This film all the more strengthened my conception. The title of the film in itself proves this – the world is a blessing, and we are all privileged to call this world our home. Besides, where else would we live? Science can only take us so far. However, no one is blind to the horrors and tragedies of this world. Maybe ignorant, maybe selfish, but not blind. Poverty is prevalent everywhere in both developed and under-developed countries alike. Countries are stricken by thousands that are living in the slums such as the favelas in Brazil. Many are thriving well below the poverty line. Even people in Calcutta depend on the landfills as their prime resource. Many result to exposing themselves to the drug market and prostitution as in South Africa for this is their only source of income. Horrific holocausts have wreaked havoc in various places of the world; the concentration camps in Auschwitz, Poland, the S21 torture chambers and killing fields in Cambodia, and even attempts to wipe out certain races such as that in Darfur, Sudan. Undoubtedly, such events are overwhelming and discouraging, for these things are only a portion of the ongoing issues of the human race. As absurd as it may seem, the good in humanity still prevails. The tribulations of humans have taught us to be ever more perseverant and resilient. This results in the victorious overcoming of these problems and the glorious defeat of the enemy. Nations have come together to put an end to humanity. Despite how diverse the ethnicities, opinions, cultures, and religions may be, we still have the ability to unite and fight for the greater good. It is that same diversity of lifestyles that makes the world so beautiful. Ancient empires and tribes have created such alluring temples and dwelling places such as the Durbar Square in Nepal, the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and the magnificent advancements of the Terrace Fields in Indonesia. Such places put us in a deep awe, even today in a technologically advanced era. People take great pride in their religions and build such sacred and radiant places of worship, whether it is the Catholic churches in Vatican City, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and the glorious Mausoleum of the Shah-e-Cheragh in Shiraz, Iran. People are passionate about their practices such as the Whirling Dervishes in Turkey, and the Kecak Dance of the Balinese. No matter how different our ethnicities, cultures, religions, and socioeconomic statuses may be, we are all bound by the beauty of simply existing. We, as humans, are able to find happiness even in the presence of poverty and economic difficulties. The world is not exactly one’s perception of a utopia, but somehow, there is beauty in the midst of all its destruction.