"Every summer since 1972, Rainbow Gatherings have occurred in a different U.S. National Forest, drawing tens of thousands of counter-culture types to the wilderness to set up a temporary city. Filmed at the 38th Annual Rainbow Gathering Of Tribes (Big Sandy, Utah), 'We Love You' allows the audience a glimpse into this rarely seen sub-culture, the violent oppression of Federal Agents who target them and their ultimate victory as they pray for peace the day after a siege by Federal Agents."That's the official description of "We Love You", a short and to the point (and award winning) (and, full disclosure: made by someone I know) documentary that gives a positive (like the attitude of those in attendance) spin on the annual gathering of hippies in the woods. Like Burning Man, rainbow gatherings aren't technically music festivals, but they share many characteristics including live music. Entertainment options at gatherings range from random people with guitars to drum circles to full on G-Funk Collective performance theater. Unlike most music festivals though, rainbow gatherings do not come with toilets.
LAist: What did you hope to do by making the gathering accessible to people who've never attended?If you'd like to check this move out, it happens to be screening as part of the NJ Film Festival at Rutgers in New Brunswick today (10/4) and again on October 9th.Director Jonathan Kalafer: It's weird because people always want to compare it to Burning Man or a music festival, but it's really unlike those things. They've created this place, there's a quote in the movie about it, where magic can happen. You're far away from everything, off in the woods and people are amazingly kind to each other.
LAist: What do you hope viewers will walk away with after seeing your film?
JK: I had some people tell me , "Thank you for making the film," because they showed it to their grandma and she understood what they're doing when they go and that they're not caught up in some crazy cult or something.
If you happen to be part of the Rainbow family, well then you probably already know that NY Rainbow's 24th Annual Prospect Park Picnic is taking place on October 11th. This year's actual Gathering took place in New Mexico.
The "We Love You" trailer, and other Rainbow Gathering videos, below...
We Love You Trailer
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I would bet good money that the people at these rainbow gatherings eat large quantities of hummus.
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 4:51 AM
I bet there are a lot of dream-catchers on-site.
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 10:39 AM
I went to the Rainbow Gathering this year. It's a vile 50 something fuckfest cum drum circle, nothing more.
Posted by Duke Puke | October 4, 2009 12:00 PM
fuck the police
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 12:05 PM
These guys are the same as the middle-class suburban society they are trying to be against... they're both kitschy as hell (tye-dye, tacky jewelry)
I like people who who against the grain... but these people don't know what the grain is.
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 1:26 PM
Back to Nature...and away from all those minorities! Same problem with hippies then as now (finger pointed squarely at the Arthur Magazine crowd): where the hell are the blacks and the gypsies and the Mexicans? It took them 30 years to get even one indeterminate ethnic type - some rainbow this is!
Posted by Crosseyed Sniper | October 4, 2009 2:37 PM
i will bet there are a lot of naked people smoking weed in the video. put some naked woman on the cover with a joint in her mouth and you are guaranteed to sell copies.
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 2:39 PM
i can't even begin to imagine the aroma of the gathering.
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 3:20 PM
It stank heavily of rotting vegetable matter. It was oppressively hot and hard to breath.
Posted by Duke Puke | October 4, 2009 5:16 PM
I can deal with progressive hippie activist types....
I can deal with progressive punk activist....
But fuck phish fans and fuck gg allin clones....
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 6:50 PM
The people commenting as 'Anonymous' to this post are probably cynical Brooklyn newcomers living off daddy's trust fund. You don't know shit about Rainbow Gatherings you fucking sheep!
Posted by Voltaire | October 4, 2009 9:27 PM
I commented earlier and I don't like in Brooklyn and I don't have a trust fund. And I don't smell.
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 9:48 PM
Nice to see that 1978 footage. I was there with wife and 8-month old baby. Was served breakfast by Ram Das, doing his karma yoga. The 7-minute video has 3 Love Family bits. I never ran into them at the gathering, but joined them a month later for the next 5 and a half years. A woman at the gathering (who also ended up in the Love Family and is still my good friend) was served some "wild carrots" by her naive friends trying to live off the land. It was Water Hemlock. Luckily. she puked. Even so, it almost killed her.
Posted by Charles Henry | October 4, 2009 10:12 PM
i just dipped my balls in humus
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 10:43 PM
LOL
Posted by Anonymous | October 4, 2009 10:43 PM
I DON't SMEll! wow I can take Showers, I'm so elitist.. heheheehh
Posted by NerdBot | October 5, 2009 5:13 AM
Naked ugly people unite.
Posted by Anonymous | October 5, 2009 10:09 AM
Just to confirm, I wrote "LOL" in regard to the hot mess that is the rainbow gathering, not the stupid hummus comment. Thanks.
Posted by Anonymous | October 5, 2009 10:21 AM
i just dipped my balls in hummus and teabagged a rainbow woman.
Posted by Anonymous | October 5, 2009 2:23 PM
wookies! this looks hilarious!!
Posted by Anonymous | October 5, 2009 4:17 PM
does any one have the vidios of 1972 , in colorado...i would love to see them,, for i was there
Posted by ken freomm | October 5, 2009 11:22 PM
when was the last time you picked up a fucking book?
Posted by Anonymous | October 6, 2009 12:59 AM
"when was the last time you picked up a fucking book?"
Who are you talking to? Why are you cursing? And what does a book have to do with anything?
Posted by Anonymous | October 6, 2009 1:13 AM
when was the last time you picked up a fucking book?
Posted by luis vuitton | October 17, 2009 12:09 PM
"when was the last time you picked up a fucking book?"
Who are you talking to? Why are you cursing? And what does a book have to do with anything?
Posted by liver enzymes | March 26, 2010 10:23 AM
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Posted by website logo design | April 3, 2010 3:48 AM
when was the last time you picked up a fucking book?
Posted by custom logos | April 3, 2010 3:48 AM
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Posted by صور | April 3, 2010 10:29 AM
READ THE BOOK
Posted by Anonymous | April 3, 2010 6:36 PM
good2
Posted by شات | August 24, 2010 12:05 AM
lol some of the comments on here are so ridiculous i cant even begin to imagine what kind of people would judge before experiencing in there own..i feed people at rainbow gathering,and it surely has never smelt like routine vegetable anywhere near my kitchen..and it is actually a very well organized unorganized festival,reunion,ect...we have tons of wash stations,medical and first aid on site,public health department actually chek our water and make sure there safe and sanitary...most of you have no idea what is involve into putting a gathering together...i have never seen this movie but i do imagine it prob leaves out things which again makes it hard for people to fully understand...the gathering means something different to everyone, and were not all just dirty hippie, alot of us have respectable jobs, family nice homes and cars, and prob make more money than you! and the fellow about there not being any culture at gathering..i have seen every color of the rainbow and religious spectrum at gathering...more than i have in any city..and i bet i have traveled more than you...so before you judge...i say try it out...you might just find your self in the right place at the right time
Posted by pippie hfm kitchen | October 7, 2010 11:24 PM