I just watched a promotional copy of We Love You, a documentary by New Jersey Pictures Productions from three-time Academy Award Nominated Producer Steve Kalafer and Director Jonathan Kalafer. I got a hold of it because Steve happens to be a longtime friend of my family’s.
The Rainbow Family holds gatherings each year in a democratically-selected national park somewhere in the U.S. (there are plenty of other gatherings, but I suppose this one gathering is as official as it can be unofficially be). These gatherings are the members’ attempts to emphasize togetherness with Mother Earth and your fellow Brothers and Sisters with whom she is shared. They focus on community, music, and prayer, all an attempt to show that world peace is in fact possible.
The film, which was unbelievably moving by the way, attempts to understand and communicate the ins and outs of the Rainbow-way by compiling interviews and scenes captured at the 2008 Rainbow Gathering in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. There’s really no way to describe it without being having been there I’m guessing, but I’m sure this documentary is as close as anyone has ever gotten.
I decided to do a little research and came across a whole archive of mp3’s of live music recorded at Rainbow Gatherings over the years, and like the film, these recordings are pretty magical; they’re completely unedited and don’t attempt to filter out background noise, so if you’re wearing some sweet headphones, it really feels like you’re there.
Above, I’ve posted a song called “So The Story Goes” by a man the archive refers to as Hawker - I can’t really find any further information on him, and I’m not sure if he’s the man with the guitar or the man with the microphone. It was recorded at the Rainbow Gathering of 1998 held at Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona and the track is just beautiful.
Click here to go visit the archives of Rainbow music.
Click here to visit the We Love You website.
I’ve wanted to go to Rainbow for a while, and word on the street is that it’s coming to the East Coast this year. Who’s down?
Doc Watch
I’m spending my summer working for a Human Rights documentary website, so I’ve been constantly exposed to different forms of storytelling and communication. This video, part of the Media That Matters Online Film Festival, is a shockingly beautiful and powerful film that captures a very new and unfortunately growing human rights problem - climate change refugees. Watch the video and learn more here.
