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Video of the Week: Charlie Goes to Burning Man

By Senior Planet Tuesday, September 16, 2014 8 Comments Share This:

“I didn’t want to not have the opportunity to come here. So I said, I’m just going to do it.”

Charlie Warner was 81 when he decided that he had to experience the Burning Man festival, a week of self-sufficient community and art (or drugs and self-indulgence, depending on how you want to see it) that’s held each summer in the Nevada desert. For many participants, most of them in their 20s and 30s, Burning Man is even more than that – it’s a year-round aesthetic, a way of being in the world.

Burning Man is challenging. The desert is inhospitable; the Personal Survival checklist includes a dust mask and goggles for dust storms, flashlights, 1.5 gallons of water person a day and ear plugs, because not everyone needs to sleep. The action is non-stop. Warner, a media professor at NYU and former AOL executive from the days when “You’ve Got Mail!” was new, considered all this in light of his health issues – diabetes, recent open heart surgery and bone marrow cancer in remission – and decided to risk it.

“Words are simply not adequate to describe the energy, the feeling, the spirituality… To see the artists using the computer, using technology to do things that Manet and Monet and Cezanne and Renoir couldn’t possibly dream of.”

This video, by filmmaker Jan Beddegenoodts, documents his marvelous experience.

(Thanks to Open Culture for pointing us to “Charlie Goes to Burning Man!)

COMMENTS

8 responses to “Video of the Week: Charlie Goes to Burning Man”

Conquer:

Sunday, September 28, 2014 at 8:46am

Thanks. At just 83 you reminded this old gal ,me there are still mountains to be climbed. Maybe burning man is added to th bucket list. Connie.

Reply to Conquer
Linda Perano:

Friday, September 26, 2014 at 12:14am

Thank you Charlie, I’m 62 and now I know what I want to do for my 70th Birthday.

Reply to Linda Perano
orinkotula:

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 5:47pm

What a gift to have come upon this video when I went to Senior Planet. Thank you, Charlie, and thank you Senior Planet.

Reply to orinkotula
sue:

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 6:06pm

I too am going thru a life challenge. Charlie you reminded me to keep my fire. Thank you for being you. You are awesome

Reply to sue
judy:

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 4:46pm

Charlie…you are awesome!

Reply to judy
Kate:

Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 11:36am

Great Video. Gave a good sense of
Burning Man. I loved when Charlie said
good bye to his father who died years
ago and also forgave his mother.
very powerful.

Reply to Kate
BestefarJohn:

Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 11:31am

Charlie, Thanks for sharing this! I am the same age as you and have wished I could attend BM. If you are taking insulin four times per day, you might enjoy having an insulin pump instead. I have had mine for several years and it is so much better than injecting!! Talk to your doc about it!

Reply to BestefarJohn
Ashton Applewhite:

Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at 4:12pm

What a wonderful movie! Burning Man is probably the most age- and class-integrated event in the US. It takes courage to attend, especially if you’re in your 80s and have several serious health issues. Good for Charlie Warner. I’m not surprised he got so much out of it, but I am delighted.

Reply to Ashton Applewhite