BARAKA (1992) with composer Michael Stearns in person

Ron Fricke’s BARAKA (1992) is a world-encircling documentary endeavor of enormous scope and technical sophistication, legendary for its breathtaking imagery of nature and civilization and its transportive sonic environments. The celebrated cinematographer behind Godfrey Reggio’s landmark KOYAANISQATSI (1982), Fricke sought expanded cinematic forms of a scale and sensitivity commensurate with the earth’s most sublime and calamitous phenomena. Fricke’s panoramic visual compositions–lensed with a specially-engineered 70mm camera across two dozen countries–have no verbal counterpoint; instead, progressive electronic composer Michael Stearns leveraged emerging possibilities of digital recording to blend traditional instruments and synthesizers, ambient sound and field recordings on the film’s six-channel soundtrack. Similar pains were taken fifteen years later when digitally remastering the film, elevating the depth and detail of the Stearn’s composition and casting its integral role in the meaning and experience of BARAKA into greater relief.

Since the breakthrough of BARAKA, Stearns has gone on to create the music for dozens of IMAX films, documentaries, and immersive media experiences, transforming the spatial experience of recorded sound in the 21st century. For this screening, Block Cinema is thrilled to welcome Stearns in person for a discussion with Northwestern Professor Jacob Smith (Screen Cultures, Sound Arts and Industries) following the film.

Sponsored by the Masters in Sound Arts and Industries at Northwestern.

About the guest:

Michael Stearns is a composer and soundtrack designer/producer. His credits include music and soundtrack production for television, feature films, theme parks, twenty one IMAX films and seventeen solo albums. He has created music for Disney Films, HBO, ABC’s “The World of Explorers”, 20/20, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and Ron Fricke’s non-verbal global film masterpieces “Chronos”, “Sacred Site”, “Baraka” and “Samsara”. His music has been used by NASA, Laserium, and choreographed by the Berkshire Ballet.

Michael has produced the soundtracks to Universal Studio’s themed attractions "Earthquake” and “Back To The Future, The Ride”, the latter utilizing twelve channel surround sound and motion control vehicles in an OMNIMAX theater. He produced the soundtrack to Paramount Picture’s ride film “Star Trek, The Experience” and music for World’s Fair/Expos in Korea, Japan and Spain.

Stearns works in his recording and post production facility The Guest House, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Host or Publisher The Block Museum of Art