Anima

Director Godrey Reggio presents a vibrant, visually compelling look at the animal kingdom in Anima Mundi, a 1991 short film that fits nicely between two other movies featuring the music of minimalist composer Philip Glass. 1983's Koyaanisqatsi and 1988's Powaqqatsi focused on the urban and physical realms of the planet, speeding up our view of the wonders of the world, and managing to find art in the heart of the city's interconnecting freeways and overpopulated spaces. But as Anima Mundi states in its epitaph, "the breath, the life, the spirit, the soul of the world" embodies a more mysterious existence, from sea to mountain top. There is such beauty and grace in the movement and exoticism of animals that this 30-minute short serves as a cautionary reminder by celebrating everything we, as humans with our omnipotent sense of superiority, seem intent on destroying over time. "The world is indeed a living being, endowed with a soul and intelligence," wrote Plato, and Anima Mundi is glorious, gorgeous visual proof of that maxim. --Paula Nechak