what is an antipode?

two places diametrically opposite each other on the earth’s surface.

they are very rare.

what is the shortest route between them?

a straight line through the center of the earth.

i recently saw ‘vivan las antipodas’

released in 2011

directed by russian documentary maker

victor kossakovsky

who had a radical idea

to visit these places

and shoot four antipodal pairs:

argentina/china
spain/new zealand
chile/russia
botswana/hawaii

he filmed it in a way

that literally

turned the world

upside down

and back again

for 108  meandering minutes

i was blown away

by the beauty

of

the landscapes

the people

the animals

the music

the colors

the contrasts

 the connections

some things are universal

life

death

money

sex

family

friends

community

survival

love

it was

quietly

stunning

and

it was

dizzying.