Ashes and Snow (2005)

Simply mesmerizing images and music. The closest to floating in a dream.Ashes and Snow is like the moment Universe came into being. As if attempting to fathom the cosmos. It is my go to movie for meditation on being. Inspires the life within and ultimate freedom. For any human that needs to be reminded of how precious the moments we have on earth are, this is a must see. The way of coexisting portrayed, encourages the forward motion.Be it in work or life, I see this as a hymn to uncomplicated. At least the way I like to see life unfolding on this planet.

I had the privilege of visiting Gregory Colbert's Parisian studio this weekend and fell in love with his magnificent, oversize sepia images of people and children interacting, sitting, dancing, or swimming with Asian elephants, eagles, manatees, cheetahs, whales and more. I had seen his 2005 exhibit, "Ashes and Snow", in New York City and still have one of its posters hanging above my bed. I wanted to watch the film of the same name in its entirety and was spellbound.For those who are not familiar with Gregory Colbert, he is a Canadian born photographer and film-maker, who traveled on expeditions to India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and many more to document the incredible interactions between humans and animals. He exposes his work only in immense "nomadic" structures. Ashes and Snow attracted over 10 million visitors in NYC, Santa Monica, Tokyo and Mexico City, making it the most attended exhibition by a living artist in history. Colbert's Nomadic Museum continues its global journey indefinitely and has no final destination. The movie, narrated by Laurence Fishburne, is stunning to say the very least. It is angelic, gentle and mesmerizing. Mostly silent, a simple, enchanting music plays in the background. From time to time a poem is read, telling the fictional tale of a husband writing 365 letters to his wife. The poems themselves are wonderful and divine, perfectly fitting into this symphony of sights and sounds and of perfect harmony between living beings. There are scenes of utmost beauty and precision that sent me into a dream-like state.I highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in art, photography or cinematography or simply to anybody who loves animals and wants to see something truly beautiful and unique. It can also be left on in the background and be watched over and over again for the striking, almost sacred allure of its images.Gregory's next appointment is with the penguins and icebergs of Antarctica and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us.My rating: 8.5 Fabio's: 6 Total score: 14.5 For more movie reviews, please visit http://www.paulinasmovies.blogspot.com/

I went to the opening of the Ashes & Snow exhibit when it arrived in Santa Monica, Ca. As the Nomadic Museum was being assembled (basically large cargo containers stacked upon one another), my friends and I thought it was going to be some sort of Cirgue De Soleil spin off, since that's what had been set up in the same spot the years before. We couldn't have been more wrong.Just before the show opened, someone told me about the website (ashesandsnow.com). I was amazed by what I saw and couldn't wait for the show's opening. When the day finally came, I was mesmerized by each image as it hung in the immense gallery, which I think was designed to give you the sense of walking among elephants. Some of the images are so bold though, with the interaction between man and animal, that you start to believe that they were digitally manipulated. Then I walked into the center section of the gallery and saw the film. It was just as awe inspiring as the images and left no doubt that each image was captured as it the scenes were choreographed.Being a photographer myself, I can say that the exposures, the compositions, the cinematography, the moods created, the toning, etc, were all absolutely perfect. I've been shooting for years and know how difficult it is to get EVERYTHING to work in coordination to create a memorable image. It's hard enough to get it all to work together in a controlled environment, but Gregory Colbert shot the majority of the images with animals. On top of that, he shot underwater, with whales, elephants and manatees, creating some of the most unique images I've ever seen.Beyond the technical aspect of the film though is the incredible harmony that you see between man and animal. For one reader to suggest that the animals were "in distress" is absolutely ludicrous. You don't see that here. You also don't see animals that resemble circus creatures that have been beaten into submission. Instead, what you see is humans that live in peace with the animals from their native land. You see an incredible respect for the animals and a gentleness that put the animals at ease. It's a thing of beauty.Deeper still is the message behind the film and the images. Both Laurence Fishburne and Ken Wantanabbe have the perfect voice to narrate Colbert's story of a man who left all that he knew, in order to find himself in distant lands. The revelations that he discovers along the way are what we get to see in the images that were produced. Watch the film, listen to the words, and then watch the film again, and again, and again. In it, you'll see a man's dreams, visions, heart break and redemption. You'll see the journey he took and the worlds that he saw, not only on the outside, but inwardly as well. You'll hear his message of love and see that ultimately, the film is not about animals at all...but instead about us.It is a masterpiece, and it is an experience.

What a piece of Art! a real masterpiece. That was the first thing i said after watching this film, i even paused a lot of times just to enjoy the beauty of the shot in front of me. To me; it's a film about life or the world as i would like it to be, it really takes you away from all the chaos, the traffic, the rush and all what's forming our modern life as we know it, and puts you in a piece of heaven, giving u an insight on how humans can live bound to other creatures in harmony, real harmony and how it really feels like to be free and really enjoying the beauty of this world. i so can't wait to see Gregory Colbert's new film.