After a two-year pandemic low, Burning Man returned to the Nevada Desert in August 2022, awashing the arid land in a psydelic array of colors and light to celebrate the theme of ‘Waking Dreams.’ The annual, non-profit event gathers a global pool of artists, makers, and community organizers to build the ephemeral Black Rock City following the ten Burning Man principles; these include self-reliance, self-expression, and civic responsibility. An estimated 800,000 participants made it to the 2022 edition, transforming the desert into a dystopian, sci-fi landscape.
San Francisco-based Filmmaker Jesse Chandler attended the festival with a goal: to capture a hyper-lapse with his drone, showing the hypnotic day-to-night unfolding of activities and lighting displays. Despite a few difficulties and a week cut short, Chandler’s final video, ‘Above the Dust,’ artfully portrays what Burning Man is all about.