Yesterday, I sat with my friend on the shore of Mayne Island, overlooking Active Pass, the narrow passage separating me and Galiano Island across the water.  The sun cascaded gorgeous colours along the rocks, dancing for the large Arbutus trees that textured the land. 

With some frequency, the epic silence was broken by a large passenger ferry as it sped through the channel (hence the name). The ferry was in the distance by the time the waves hit, churning over the barnacles and seaweed, thrashing all manner of organisms that must make this cove home. 

I thought of Stephen Jenkinson's words: 

"Everything we do and don’t do makes a wake, a legion of waves and troughs that pound the shores at the edges of what we mean, grinding away on the periphery of what we know. This goes on after the years of our private lives are long past."

I wondered: how many times have I ridden that ferry, unaware of the ripples that hit these shores? I wondered: how many ripples am I causing even now, as I type these words?

Stephen continued: "If we don’t learn that simple, devastating and redeeming detail of being alive - that what we do lasts longer than we do, that the past isn’t over - then the parade of our days stands to indict much more than it bequeaths. This is something that we have to learn now."

On the Arbutus tree above me, graffiti was carved ruthlessly into the soft belly of this one's trunk. A human attempt to stave off the perceived annihilation of non-existence - as if to prove: I WAS HERE.   The irony was not lost on me.  When the only story we know ends when we end, it's no surprise we fight death tooth and claw - unaware that our ripples are what make us immortal.  

The sun retreated below the horizon. The ferry lights continued into the distance. And the water, at least for a moment, fell calm once more.

Ian MacKenzie
Mayne Island, BC

DEAR GUARDIANS: A BURNING MAN SHORT FILM

Having served as a Guardian from 2010-2012, I returned last year to capture a short film about the Guardians. This is my humble attempt to gift back a reflection of the beauty that humans can embody. Please enjoy + share widely!

“The Temple rises apart from Black Rock City, an oasis of calm out in the deep playa that stands resolute, able to bear what participants bring and to be what we need at the moment we call on it.

Behind the Temple stands a group that has quietly watched over those structures each year since 2002. The main duty of the Temple Guardians is to protect the Temple and those who visit it. We abide with love for the Temple and everything that it represents.” – The Temple Guardians

READ: THE ESSAY

Along with the short film, I've written an essay. An excerpt: "In 2010, I was given the name Vision Weaver and served my first year as Temple Guardian. Much like the Temple, the Guardians arose from an absence – or more poetically, an un-articulated longing. With the role came duty: to hold the sacred space and embody the love and acceptance of the Temple. Most of all, to bear witness to the grief of being human."

» Read the full essay

INTERVIEW: BEHIND THE SCENES OF 'DEAR GUARDIANS'

Ignite Magazine was kind enough to also publish an interview with me, offering a perspective behind the scenes of producing the film. 

Q. "Dear Guardians is a beautiful homage to the Burning Man Temple Guardians.  How did you hold the sacredness of the Temple while adding in that element of filmmaking which is in some respects an invasive one?

» Read the full interview

'OCCUPY LOVE' WINS CINEMA POLITICA AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

Thanks to our amazing supporters, we've won the Cinema Politica audience award for 2013! The film follows the global revolutions, from Tahir Square to Wall St, connecting the vision and heart toward an emerging world. If you missed the film, there are many options to view. Visit our website below for full details:

FEATURED CAMPAIGN: SUPPORT THE BEAUMONT STUDIOS VANCOUVER

The Beaumont Studios Artist Society is a community intent on creating art & events that celebrate local artists and enrich the lives of everyone in Vancouver.

From their campaign: "If just 5000 people give $10 we will reach our goal and the money collected will  propel us to the next stage. You will be an integral part in saving an amazing cultural arts space in Vancouver."

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