Koyaanisqatsi
With The Philip Glass Ensemble

Film Screening With Live Score
Copresented by Liquid Music, Northrop, and the Walker Art Center
Tue, Mar 9, 2027, 7 pm
Northrop

Koyaanisqatsi (koy-ahn-iss-KOT-see), from the Hopi language, translates roughly to “life out of balance” or “state of life that calls for another way of living.”

This extraordinary experience melds film and live music for an immersive, wordless portrait of the relationship between nature, humanity and technology. In a special 40th-anniversary return engagement of this mesmerizing event, The Philip Glass Ensemble (PGE) performs the groundbreaking Philip Glass soundtrack live while the pioneering 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi unfurls on the screen. Without dialogue or narration, Koyaanisqatsi relies entirely on powerful imagery and the hypnotic, propulsive score to convey its vision. Through time-lapse photography, slow motion and juxtaposed imagery, the film captures the beauty and turbulence of the modern world, moving from vast landscapes to the frenetic pace of urban life. 

Upon its release, Koyaanisqatsi became a landmark in experimental cinema and is credited with influencing generations of filmmakers and visual artists. Koyaanisqatsi lets you experience the acceleration and density of modern society in a new way, inviting you to consider the challenges of technology and the notion of progress in the world — a world out of balance. The score is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential film soundtracks of the last century.

The Philip Glass Ensemble comprises the principal performers of the music of Philip Glass, who founded the PGE in 1968 in New York City. Its purpose was to develop a performance practice to meet the unprecedented technical and artistic demands of his compositions, and its members remain inimitable interpreters of his work.

Subscription tickets for Northrop's 2026-27 season are now on sale. Single tickets go on sale July 14.