The word Koyaanisqatsi comes from the Hopi language and is defined through several translations provided during the film’s ending: Crazy life Life in turmoil Life disintegrating A state of life that calls for another way of living Core Themes and Visual Style
Koyaanisqatsi is the first installment of what became the Qatsi Trilogy :
: The music features repetitive, minimalist structures that mirror the mechanical nature of modern life.
: The deep, sepulchral chanting of the title word "Koyaanisqatsi" provides a somber anchor for the film's beginning and end.
The score by Philip Glass is considered one of the most influential in film history.
: Life out of balance (The impact of technology on the Western world).
: Reggio argues that humans have moved beyond using technology as a tool to actually "living technology," becoming part of a mechanical process that distances us from the original natural world.
: Life as war (Exploring the digital world and the "war of the mind").