the other Dave Cameron

American Juggalo (by Sean Dunne)

This 23-minute documentary is disturbing, funny, enlightening, and very well made. Definitely NSFW, but completely and utterly fascinating. 

Everything I love about a great documentary is in this short about the Gathering of the Juggalos, a family reunion of sorts for Insane Clown Posse superfans. The filmmakers all-but-ignore the music, choosing instead to focus on the crowd. It’s a chance to visit everyday people I’ve never met, sharing who they are in a place and an environment that I would never be in myself. It’s a peek at an entire culture I would never be comfortable in, and yet I recognize so many who are like people I have known. 

There’s no narration, no judgement, no thesis to be fulfilled, no point to prove. Just voices being heard, sharing moments, emotions, speaking freely about a life they love. 

This is the post-millenium Heavy Metal Parking Lot, capturing a piece of unashamed American culture and its people in their moment, being who they want to be. And they don’t really care what you think.

P.S. - photographer Daniel Cronin has a great series of portraits he’s done at this same event over the years with a 4x5 camera. It’s a great companion piece to this documentary.