Helios

Helios - Album Cover

There’s something timeless about the marriage of music and images, with no dialogue. Following in the inspiring footsteps of films such as "Baraka", "Atlas Dei" and "Ashes & Snow", for the last decade Nick Klimenko (aka Chronos) has been carefully curating and combining unique footage in preparation for a similar project. Now at last the results can be seen as video-clips, photos, computer graphics, dance performances and live acts are all woven together to accompany the wonderful ambient music from Altar Record’s "Helios" album ( altar.bandcamp.com/album/helios-24bits ) - reworked & remastered into a stunning cinematic experience.

Get ready to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature, intriguing dance forms, ethnic cultures, hypnotic sand drawings, the far reaches of deep space and the miracles of modern technology -in a world that is our own, and yet far, far removed from the rush and chaos of everyday life.

Helios – Audio Visual Performance Movie

Video Source: http://youtu.be/CYBzdCrC7RA

Ten specially selected artists -unique in their talents- were chosen to team up and work on this project to create six complementary chapters. Themes range from the timelessness of Earth’s cultures and beauty, to the stark brilliance of outer space and beyond; from ancient mystic rituals from days gone by, to the primal forces of nature that continue to awe; and from spiritual practice and faith, to universal human feelings of love and devotion.

This engaging yet relaxing film is a gift, lovingly crafted and offered to the world at large via the internet, featuring the creative talents of the Chronos Project team and their ten years of outstanding artistic output.

LINKS:

Altar Records – Official Website

http://www.altar-records.com/

Altar Records - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/user/AstralWaves1

Altar Records - Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AltarRecords

Altar Records - Bandcamp

https://altar.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-helios-film-24bits

CREDITS:

Video editing & mounting, guitar - Alexey Ansheles

Author photos & video recording - Elena Ukolova, Denis Panov

Cover by Elena Ukolova

Clip-making: LIVEatGOA

www.youtube.com/user/LIVEatGOA

Sand drawing - Liliya Chistina

Dance performance & costumes - Cosmonagas - Yana,Jenia,Layo

Vox & cello - Galina Shitinina

Idea, music & concept - Nick Klimenko

"Helios is a wonderful audio visual dance with Creation!" ~ Stewart Brennan, World United Music

Temples of Ancient Bagan, Myanmar

Photo: Gordon Johnstone “Bagan Sunset”

Bagan is an ancient city located in the Mandalay Region of Burma (Myanmar). From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day.

The Bagan Archaeological Zone is a main draw for the country's nascent tourism industry. It is seen by many as equal in attraction to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNSiLuXIdRw

In this video: Temples in Bagan Archaeological Zone, and sunset views over the area. The temples/pagodas in their order in the video: Shwezigon Pagoda, Htilominlo Temple, Ananda Temple, Lawkananda Pagoda, Nagayon Temple, Mingalazedi Pagoda, Gawdawpalin Temple, Thatbyinnyu Temple, Sulamani Temple, Dhammayangyi Temple, Shwesandaw Pagoda, sunset views (in

mixed order) from Shwesandaw Pagoda & Pya Tha Da Pagoda.

Music: "Desert Rain" by Herrin - http://herrin.com.au/

Bagan – 7^th to 13^th Centuries

According to the Burmese chronicles, Bagan was founded in the second century CE, and fortified in 849 CE by King Pyinbya, 34th successor of the founder of early Bagan. Mainstream scholarship however holds that Bagan was founded in the mid-to-late 9th century by the Mranma (Burmans), who had recently entered the Irrawaddy valley from the Nanzhao Kingdom. It was among several competing Pyu city-states until the late 10th century when the Burman settlement grew in authority and grandeur.

From 1044 to 1287, Bagan was the capital as well as the political, economic and cultural nerve center of the Pagan Empire. Over the course of 250 years, Bagan's rulers and their wealthy subjects constructed over 10,000 religious monuments (approximately 1000 stupas, 10,000 small temples and 3000 monasteries) in an area of 104 square kilometres (40 sq mi) in the Bagan plains. The prosperous city grew in size and grandeur, and became a cosmopolitan center for religious and secular studies, specializing in Pali scholarship in grammar and philosophical-psychological (abhidhamma) studies as well as works in a variety of languages on prosody, phonology, grammar, astrology, alchemy, medicine, and legal studies. The city attracted monks and students from as far as India, Ceylon as well as the Khmer Empire.

The culture of Bagan was dominated by religion. The religion of Bagan was fluid, syncretic and by later standards, unorthodox. It was largely a continuation of religious trends in the Pyu era where Theravada Buddhism co-existed with Mahayana Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, various Hindu (Saivite, and Vaishana) schools as well as native animist (nat) traditions. While the royal patronage of Theravada Buddhism since the mid-11th century had enabled the Buddhist school to gradually gain primacy, other traditions continued to thrive throughout the Pagan period to degrees later unseen.

The Pagan Empire collapsed in 1287 due to repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301). Recent research shows that Mongol armies may not have reached Bagan itself, and that even if they did, the damage they inflicted was probably minimal. However, the damage had already been done. The city, once home to some 50,000 to 200,000 people, had been reduced to a small town, never to regain its pre-eminence. The city formally ceased to be the capital of Burma in December 1297 when the Myinsaing Kingdom became the new power in Upper Burma.

Photo: View over plain of Bagan - by Corto Maltese 1999

Balloon Flight Over Bagan, Myanmar

Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8epwUR6BBos

The sunrise view from hot air balloon of thousands of temples spread in the Bagan valley is one of the most impressive views to enjoy.

This post made possible by the following content providers:

Video - Amazing Places on Our Planet - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/milosh9k

Info on Bagan extracted from Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagan

Photo: Bagan Sunset - Gordon Johnstone Photography

www.gordonjohnstonephotography.com

Photo: View over plain of Bagan - by Corto Maltese 1999

https://www.flickr.com/photos/drepung/

Music in Video - Herrin

http://herrin.com.au/