This is what I am working on right now. I'm taking the Black Box, the movie that we showed on the playa at Burning Man a few years ago, and putting it in a more current context.
Burning Man was happening while Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. The conclusion we reached after interviewing African Americans about the lack of diversity at a festival like Burning Man, was that, for the most part, black people and white people don't really hang out that much. There are certainly the cross-over points, where groups intermingle regardless of race, but they are rare and special.
I think it's important to look at race in America. Especially considering how Hurricane Katrina ripped away a veil that had tried to hide impoverished blacks from the world. The reaction of the American people revealed our heart while our government revealed our lack of courage
Burning Man is a very American place and the lack of racial diversity at the festival is really just a reflection of our country.
The new version opens with Hurricane Katrina and then zooms in on Hope and me on the playa with the original version of the black box playing on a TV in the background.
1 comment:
here's the link to the original video of the BlackBox which played at burning man on on the playa in 2003. the theme of the festival that year was Beyond Belief-- this film is mostly raw headshot interviews with african-americans from oakland who were asked the question: why is burning man mostly attended by white people?
http://tinyurl.com/blackboxmovie2003
Post a Comment