On September 1-2, 2023, an inch of rain – a record – fell on the Black Rock Desert. How did these conditions affect your filming?

Sarah Fortin: In this desert, it’s not sand, but dust. When the rain hit, the ground turned into clay, so everything was sticky. Fortunately, our cameras held up until the end, but they went through a rough time.

Pascal Brouard: We had planned to divide the documentary into four parts: the building of the city, the arrival of the Burners and the excitement at the beginning of the week, the end of the week with the ceremonial burning of the Man and the Temple, and finally, the dismantling and the exodus. But we fell so far behind schedule because of the weather that we had to leave without filming the end. That forced us to rethink how we structured the episodes.

S.F.: With the downpours and the mud, the roads became impassable, the gates were closed, and movement was restricted. Everyone ended up feeling trapped. There was a wave of mutual aid, but also a certain nervousness. The energy shifted. People were soaked, ankle-deep in mud, and many had flights to catch to get home... Supplies were starting to run low. No one knew how long it would last. Rumors were flying, and communication with the outside world was limited. We never could have anticipated such a dramatic twist!

Rain, mud, but also high winds, dust storms, and scorching sun... The weather conditions can be extremely harsh.

P.B.: At Burning Man, you never know what to expect! In 2022, it was hell, with temperatures reaching up to 115°F. People really suffered.

S.F.: My sound engineer’s boom snapped during a dust storm, shattered by a stronger gust of wind, and some of our camera gear got blown away... We had to film wearing goggles and scarves to protect our faces. We came out of our first storm dirty and exhausted.

Let’s go back to the beginning. How did this epic project to film Burning Man come together?

S.F.: Pascal pulled me into this great adventure – almost against my will!

P.B.: I first went to Burning Man in 2010, invited by a friend from San Francisco, and then went back in 2012 and 2013. I wanted to make a film about it. TV5 Québec Canada and Babel Films were on board, but I couldn’t imagine doing all the work on my own. It’s just so huge, so intense. That’s when I asked Sarah to join me.

S.F.: In that sense, Pascal and I were a good team – he was the seasoned Burner, and I brought a fresh perspective. I’m not at all the typical crowd for this kind of event and would never have gone to Burning Man on my own. But I’m curious and always open to trying new things. I had everything to discover, camera in hand!

How did you set yourselves apart from what had already been done on Burning Man?

S.F.: The idea was to cover all aspects of the event, to capture the full experience: the organization of Black Rock City, a temporary city in the middle of the desert with nearly 80,000 residents, a post office, an airport, a radio station, two fire trucks, and a volunteer force of 800 rangers. But also the participation of the Burners – both the veterans and the “virgins” [a nickname for first-time attendees] – and the artists installing their work.

P.B.: Most films on the subject are artistic takes on the construction of the Man or the Temple, those large wooden structures that are burned at the end. That’s the case with Art on Fire (2020). We also didn’t want to repeat something like the French travel show J’irai dormir chez vous, which went to Burning Man in 2013. We wanted to make a documentary series grounded in observation and follow people over time.

You follow a large number of French-speaking organizers, volunteers, and attendees.

P.B.: That was something TV5 Québec Canada specifically wanted. We spent two years researching and reaching out to Quebecois and French camps. But when you’re filming with Burners, you never really know what you’re going to get – they might be gelés (“frozen,” “high” in Quebec French), they might be completely naked, or they might not even show up! We never knew what state the people we wanted to interview would be in. And then there were the authorizations, because not everyone wanted to be filmed...

Who are the Burners?

S.F.: Young people and old people, hippies who’ve been coming for 25 years, thirtysomethings curious about the experience, khaki-wearing accountants who, one week a year, completely let loose and embrace total madness… People driving sleek, high-end RVs, people in trailers or Honda Civics, with a small tent and a camping stove. Like any city of 80,000, there’s everything – from the working class to millionaires!

P.B.: Marian Goodell, cofounder and CEO of Burning Man, gave me these figures for 2023: 64.9% Democrats, 4.1% Republicans, 1.6% Green Party members, and 1.4% Libertarians. Around 80% live in the United States, and 15% in Canada.

Many participants describe Burning Man as “a spiritual journey,” “a pilgrimage.” What does the Burners’ spirituality look like?

P.B.: I think everyone brings their own sense of spirituality. The Temple is a place of meditation and contemplation open to all, rather than a religious place. The spiritual experience isn’t omnipresent at Burning Man. For some people, it’s central; for others, it’s secondary. Like Sarah said, it’s a city of 80,000 people, with devout believers, agnostics, and atheists. What unites everyone is the spirit of sharing and giving.

Using archival footage, you look back on the origins of Burning Man. How has the event evolved since its beginnings in 1986?

S.F.: These archives are striking. From a happening with about 35 eccentrics on a San Francisco beach, to the migration to the Nevada desert [in 1990], and the massive gathering we have today, Burning Man has changed a lot. In the first episode, we interview this guy missing a tooth, puffing on his vape: “The first time I came, in 1996, we brought our guns and fireworks, shot them in the air, and took drugs!” Obviously, it’s not like that anymore.

P.B.: One day, while filming, I had this phrase running through my mind: “This city is dying.” That was the feeling I had at that moment. For me, there’s a big difference between 2010 and 2023. The first time I went, I had no contact with the outside world for a week – no phone, no Wi-Fi, no Starlink antenna.

With the Internet, influencers have invaded the event.

S.F.: Yes, they wear makeup and take selfies on their hoverboards in the middle of the desert. They pose in front of the Temple to promote various brands. There are also more and more “glamping” installations funded by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Even the founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté, has his own camp with air conditioning!

P.B.: Some people pay up to 20,000 or 30,000 dollars for this kind of “exclusive” experience. Yet, gifting and decommodification are two of Burning Man’s ten principles. Money is not allowed on the premises. Even bartering, which was common for a long time, no longer exists. Going to Black Rock City has become a bucket list item – people do it once, and then it’s checked off.

S.F.: It’s as if the event has reached a peak and become a caricature of itself. Is it still as sincere as it used to be? I doubt it. Many of the early participants no longer feel in tune with the corporate structure of Burning Man [with 140 full-time employees and offices in San Francisco], or with the inevitable safety rules that come with managing such a large crowd...

How do you envision the future of the event?

S.F.: I don’t think Burning Man can continue organizing such large gatherings. I interviewed a woman who has attended many regional Burns, like Amber Burn in Lithuania, AfrikaBurn in South Africa, or Burning Japan, near Nagano. Encouraging these smaller-scale events, less megalomaniacal and more in line with the original principles, seems like the best option given current environmental concerns. They say Black Rock City is “zero waste,” but a lot of waste leaves the site at the end of the week. There’s also a lot of gear that gets wasted, purchased exclusively for the event and then thrown away.

Would you go back?

S.F.: I had incredible moments, like the first night with the Playa [the central esplanade] lit up and the art installations, but once was enough. I saw too big a difference between the theory and the reality on the ground. Plus, we were there to work, so we weren’t always in the same state or mindset as the Burners. It’s like being the only sober person at a party! For us, no tantric massage workshops or naked yoga sessions.

P.B.: I don’t think I’ll go back either. I was returning ten years after my last experience, maybe to complete the circle, and the magic had disappeared, along with the community philosophy from the early days. I wasn’t 40 anymore, and my life had changed. Everyone experiences Burning Man in their own way. Some people go every year. For those die-hard fans, “one week a year is real life, and the other 51 weeks are just the default world!”

The four episodes of Burning man, enflammer le désert are streaming exclusively on TV5MONDEplus!

Read more exclusive Q&As:

Paris' Bouquinistes: The Story Behind the Iconic Booksellers

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paris for Ever: Before his death in 1988, the little prince of New York’s contemporary art scene made several trips to Paris. Supported by a small group of local pioneers, he found in France a refuge, a source of inspiration, and a new audience. Now streaming on TV5MONDEplus.

Notre-Dame Résurrection: Step into the restoration of the century! Notre Dame reopened its doors after a terrible fire and 2,064 days of closure. For four and a half years, filmmaker Xavier Lefebvre and his crew followed the rebuilding project to create a breathtaking documentary, now streaming on TV5MONDEplus.

Paris Fashion Week turns 50! In this captivating documentary, journalist and filmmaker Loïc Prigent delves into the oral history of this major fashion event, celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year. We invite you to read his interview by Clément Thiery for more in depth insights to discover.