Next Wednesday, Dr. Sherron will be showing you Koyaanisquatsi, Godfrey Reggio's "documentary" on modern technology. The film attempts to highlight aspects of technology that we take for granted because they have become the environment in which we move. According to Reggio, we cannot understand the radical nature of the transformation of our culture by technology if we assume that technology consists of value neutral 'tools' that can be used in better and worse ways. Reggio believes that human nature itself has been altered by technology in profound and fundamental ways. In terms of our readings so far, Reggio is an example of what Borgmann calls the "substantive" approach to understanding technology. Reggio cites Jacques Ellul, who is discussed in both the Borgmann and Achterhuis books, as a major influence on Koyaanisquatsi. The film's approach is innovative in that there is no narration at all that might tell us how to think about the images of technology that we are shown. Instead, Reggio relies on the juxtaposition of powerful images and music to prompt the viewer to reflect about the central themes of the film.