Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I rented this film on Saturday, September 2, 2006. At the time, I knew little about the event, except that at the very same moment I was sitting on my living room sofa with a bag of microwave popcorn, 35,000 slightly-nutty people were somewhere out in the desert setting fire to all sorts of strange objects, the biggest of which was shaped like you and me. I just thought to myself, "What better a day could there be to get more acquainted with the subject?"
From the moment the credits rolled on this the documentary, there was really no turning back. That very night, I promised myself that I would join in this unique experience the very next chance I got. I've since showed it to a few other friends, and they too have fallen under the spell.
As for the documentary itself, it does an excellent job at showing just what goes into making the event happen. I got a real appreciation for the staggering amount of work involved, and the zealot-like devotion it inspires in both its staff and its participants - the line between which is thin and blurred by definition, as everyone who goes is expected to do something to help create the experience. I found their passion infectious. As they described the impact it had on their lives, how it changed them as people, I was left pondering what kind of fascinating ways might Burning Man one day change me?
Of course, it did not make me feel "just like I was there." On the contrary, it fully convinced me that even the best film on this subject could never replace the experience itself, and that if I wanted to truly know Burning Man, I had to go. Some might count that as a weakness of the film, but not I. The fact that the film starts with the assumption that you could never translate the true experience of Burning Man onto celluloid is the very thing that makes it brilliant, and accurate.
From the mind-boggling diversity of its participants, to the ephemeral beauty and strangeness of its art, Burning Man is not just an effigy, it's a conflagration of IDEAS blazing in the Nevada desert. And after seeing this film, I swear it's one fire into which I fully intend to throw myself!
UPDATE: Aug 2008: At the moment, gearing up for my second year on the playa. Burning Man 2007 was a life-changing experience, and this year looks like it'll be even better. Two years hence, I still give this film credit for introducing me to a whole new world, and teaching me so very much. If you really wanna be a burner, this film is a great place to start your journey.
UPDATE: July 2010: Even after three pilgrimages to Black Rock City (soon to be four), and nine trips to smaller regional burns, the wonder has not ceased, and the magic will not fade. Indeed, the burner community has become a second family to me, and these festivals my second home. I look forward to each and every one with the kind of childish glee that's barely possible to contain. Over the years, I've loaned or screened this film to anyone who's expressed a sincere interest in the subject, and gifted it to several who were serious about going. By now, I've seen about ten other documentaries on Burning Man (all of which I own) - but of them all, this is the only one that I loan, screen, or gift - which is what keeps bringing me back to this page.
Click Here to see more reviews about: BURNING MAN - BEYOND BLACK ROCK (2006)
BURNING MAN:BEYOND BLACK ROCK - DVD Movie
Get 10% OFF
Click here for more information about BURNING MAN - BEYOND BLACK ROCK (2006)
0 comments:
Post a Comment