The Water Cycle
dir. Peter Donebauer, 1981
United Kingdom, 47 min

Peter Donebauer’s The Water Cycle was commissioned by Thorn-EMI as a concept album for their brand new JVC laser disc player. With music from Mike Ratledge and Karl Jenkins (of Soft Machine fame), the video moves through the several states of the eponymous cycle — Sea, Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Seepage, Run-Off, Sea. As in much of Donebauer’s videos, shifting streams of color and amoeba-like figures coalesce into a meditative, spiritual experience.