David Rakoff in “This American Life: The Invisible Made Visible” (by officialtal)

…But the story is essentially the same. You go along the road as time and the elements lay waste to your luggage, scattering the contents into the bushes. Until there you are, standing with a battered and empty suitcase that frankly, no one wants to look at anymore. It’s just the way it is. But how lovely those moments were, gone now except occasionally in dreams, when one could still turn to someone and promise them something truly worth their while, just by saying “hey, watch this.”

Source: youtube.com

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.

Source: vimeo.com