A film by
Godfrey Reggio which,
stylistically and
thematically, is similar to his previous film
Koyaanisqatsi.
Keeping with the meaning of the title, Powaqqatsi is primarily about the dynamic between the First World and the Third World; the First World being the "entity...that consumes the life forces of other beings" and the Third World being said "other beings".
The film goes to great lengths to make it clear that the prosperity of the First World is dependent on the exploitation of Third World labor and resources, and that the standard of living in the Third World is not an accident of history but an integral design feature of the current world order.