Seeking Balance Beyond the Noise: the ‘In Pursuit of Silence’ Movie

“And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.”
– Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

A weird movie hit the theaters in the early 1980s. Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance was variously described as an experimental film, a documentary, or an art film. This one may have been mainstream, but it was odd enough to be indie. Having Francis Ford Coppola's name on it must have helped the movie get some distribution, though he had little to do with making it. In any case, Koyaanisqatsi was well received.

As a young child in the early 80s, I didn’t see the movie in a theater; I watched it some years later on video. But do remember sitting in a movie theater, waiting for some kid movie to begin, and seeing the trailer for Koyaanisqatsi. Even a few minutes of it was powerful and a bit disturbing. For years afterwards, I remember wondering what on earth was going on in that movie, but it wasn’t until I watched it years later that it made more sense. (*Note: I have included a link below for the 2-minute trailer. If you watch that trailer about 40 times, it’s roughly equivalent to the full movie.)

The Koyaanisqatsi movie depicted the modern world and its intersection with nature, complete with industrial and urban scenes, lots of traffic, and people with 1980's hairdos. It was backed with a loud chant from a deep-voiced man repeating the Hopi Native American word “koyaanisqatsi” (which translates roughly to “life out of balance”) again and again and again. There was footage of how people are impacting the environment, a plight which didn’t get much attention in the early 80’s, set to modern-sounding Phillip Glass compositions and that persistent chanting. Koyaanisqatsi was the first of three Qatsi movies, each of which took a slightly different angle on the imbalance.

Now comes a movie that could be Koyaanisqatsi, Part IV, though it has no formal connection with that franchise. What should have come after the Qatsi movies was a film about getting back into balance, and in a way, that’s what In Pursuit of Silence offers. The title gives away the secret: in our noisy world, silence is a cure. It won’t stop environmental degradation or solve all the world's ills, but the movie shows us how silence can provide us with a grounding.

Patrick Shen, director of 'In Pursuit of Silence'. The title comes from a book by George Prochnik, upon which the movie is loosely based.

If Koyaanisqatsi was about human noise and disharmony with nature, then In Pursuit of Silence is an antidote. It’s about (re-)discovering the nature of silence in our world of noise.

In Pursuit of Silence builds a solid argument that the constant noise of our world is harming peoples’ physical, mental, and emotional health. From urban and industrial noise to the constant stream of traffic to streaming music to having smartphones at our fingertips 24/7, noise surrounds us.

The film tells us that humans may have adjusted to this environment consciously, but our evolutionary biology has not caught up to it and that leaves us feeling lost. Taking a walk in the woods, meditating, or simply unplugging for a while are ways to ground ourselves again. One reason they work is because such activities help us (re-)discover and explore the silence.

It's out there somewhere.

Recently, In Pursuit of Silence completed its tour of film festivals and independent screenings (one of which I was fortunate to attend), so it should be on video in the not-too-distant future. If you have a chance to see it, I recommend doing so. It may not prompt you to abandon your life and join a monastery for a six-month vow of silence. But the movie surely will make you think about silence. Perhaps it is a good idea to take some time each day or week to unplug, relax, and hopefully reconnect with ourselves and the world around us.

From one of the most memorable shots in the movie.

"And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence."
--Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

Worth watching:

Koyaanisqatsi Trailer (1983 film):

Silence Trailer 1:

Silence Trailer 2:

While we’re on the subject of silence, here is Disturbed’s amazing cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s classic song The Sound of Silence (2016 appearance on Conan):

*All images from Koyaanisqatsi (Island Alive/New Cinema) or In Pursuit of Silence (Transcendental Media).