Dust & Illusions (2009)

Once a year, on a vast Nevada lake bed surrounded by mountains and for the past 20 years, the Burning Man festival brings together tens of thousands of people who are attracted by the ... See full summary »

Director:

Olivier Bonin

Stars:

Jerry James, Larry Harvey, John Law

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry James	...	Burning Man Co-Founder / Carpenter
Larry Harvey	...	Burning Man Co-Founder and Executive Director
John Law	...	Burning Man Co-Founder / Cacophonist
Michael Mikel	...	Burning Man Co-Founder and Director
Michael Hopkins	...	Artist
Kevin Evans	...	Artist
William Binzen	...	Artist / Photographer
Charlie Gadeken	...	Artist / Boxshop Artists Studios' Director
Pepe Ozan	...	Artist / Sculptor
Chicken John	...	Event Promoter
Adrian Roberts	...	Newspaper Editor / Piss Clear Editor
Marian Goodell	...	Burning Man Communication and Finance Director
Rebecca Randers	...	Artist / Flaming Lotus Girls
James Stauffer	...	Writer / Flaming Lotus Girls
Jim Mason	...	Artist / Shipyard Artists Studios' Director

Storyline

Once a year, on a vast Nevada lake bed surrounded by mountains and for the past 20 years, the Burning Man festival brings together tens of thousands of people who are attracted by the festival's promise of seven days of de-commodification, community, artwork, and revelry. But increasingly, many question whether Burning Man's mainstream appeal threatens - or even upends - the festival's utopian vision. Through a series of in-depth interviews of the festival's founders, organizers, and participants, DUST & ILLUSIONS traces the festival's history, while examining whether the festival is a victim of its own success. The documentary also offers a new perspective about the event, and looks at our ability as human beings to create new forms of community in the 1st century.

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Plot Keywords:

burning man | community | nevada | techno music | desert | 

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Taglines:

30 years of history of the Burning Man festival from its origins in the late 1970s until today

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 2009 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$163,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine, Madnomad Films, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min 80 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (MiniDV)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Adrian Roberts talks about burning his shade structure, the footage is actually of Charlie Gadeken's great paintings at Burning Man 1996.

User Reviews

Loved the movie -- Great history even for those that have gone to Burning Man for years

I have to say, I was really just looking forward to seeing a movie about Burning Man as anything Burning Man makes me happy. What I got was so much more. This movie really explains how it got started, letting you relive the first Burning Man like you were there. It showed me what went on behind the scenes to get it where it is today. The politics, the struggles, the changes and of course, the different personalities of those involved. It made me feel like I was back on the Playa at times and made me yearn for the real playa later this year. The art, the artists, the people, the theater that is Burning Man is really amazing to see in this movie. I've already recommended the movie to people that have never gone, are going for the first time and some that are going back for their 5th or 6th time. It's amazing. You should see it.

CoastBurner