Desert Dreams is one of those films that is great to have a copy of to watch whenever you need a lift or a little inspiration. Subtitled “Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert,” the photography in this video is absolutely stunning, as are the music and the desert sounds. There are five segments that are each about ten minutes long, filmed during each of the corresponding seasons: Dry Summer, Wet Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. There is no narration at all (and no humans are seen in the video) and yet there is a rich educational value is in being able to closely observe the interaction of wildlife, time-lapse photography of flowers and dramatic cloud formations, and being able to see how insects handle life in the desert.

It is so easy to get lost in the beauty of the images in the film and Gary Stroutsos’ music enhances that affect to perfection. Stroutsos is known primarily for his Native American flute playing on recordings, in film soundtracks, and in concert performances. The sound track for Desert Dreams also has some drums and keyboard here and there, but is mostly Stroutsos and his haunting flutes. Natural sounds from from the desert are also part of the soundtrack, giving insight into what the various creatures and events sound like as well as what they look like.

Desert Dreams is a wonderful DVD for both educational and entertainment purposes, suitable for any age group. It is available from www.GaryStroutsos.com, www.wildhorizons.com and Amazon. I give it my highest recommendation.