DIRECTORS' STATEMENT

When our film crew of twenty-seven headed off to the Playa in 2001, none of us had ever been to Burning Man. After meetings with Larry Harvey and Marian Goodell, directors of the annual festival, we decided that our movie would document the experiences of newcomers like ourselves. To do so, we would immerse ourselves in the Burning Man experience. We would not only shoot a movie, but also create an art project on the Playa, teach yoga at the Center Café, and even provide taxi service to our fellow Burners. At the time, the focus of our film was on the full festival experience and its effect on our virgin subjects.

What we learned was how the Burning Man experience forces you to take as close a look at art as at life itself. It proves how taking yourself to a place without access to technology, where you are not constantly bombarded by media advertising and there is no vending or money changing hands, can be an incredible tool for change. The stimulation of incredible art, the sense of community, and the harsh physical environment allowed us to be changed by the festival in ways none of us could have anticipated.

Since that first Burning Man experience five years ago, this change continues as much on the Playa as off. When we shot this film in 2001, Reality TV had not yet hit mainstream and it was the week before 9/11. We live in a different world today, but for many, the spirit of Burning Man remains the same.

Confessions of a Burning Man captures the spirit of an event with the sustaining element of change. It is a great introduction for people interested in Burning Man and, as described in the directors’ commentary by crew member David Silverman (Director of The Simpsons, Monsters, Inc.), a great insight into the creativity of those who attend the festival.

Unsu Lee and Paul Barnett learned at least two significant things from the making of this film: First, in order to know Burning Man, you have to experience it yourself. And second, Burning Man is many things to many people. Much like the Tao Te Ching, Burning Man is indescribable. If our movie does anything, it affords people an opportunity to look at the event with a detached eye. While the entirety of the event must be experienced personally and cannot fully be described in words or images, we hope that our film transports you and provides you with a glimpse of that experience.

THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN
"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."
William Shakespeare, As You Like It. Each year, Burning Man has a different theme. In 2001, it was The Seven Ages of Man. Inspired by the Shakespeare play, As You Like It, the Seven Ages of Burning Man were The Infant, The Child, The Lover, The Soldier, Burning Man, The Justice, and The Pantaloon. The theme was our framework for the documentary. Each day, we took our 4 subjects to a different stage of life as represented by the artwork on the desert playa. Even though we abandoned this framework during the editing process, we owe much of our initial inspiration to the theme.

Behind the camera, everyone in our crew, almost all first-timers, went through a journey of discovery, awe, and personal reflection. Burning Man changed all of us. We became better people, and better filmmakers. Our story is felt, rather than seen, in this film. Like anything created at Burning Man, this documentary is a mere moment in time, but we hope it captures the incredible rush of journeying to one of the world's most enthralling events.