Renaissance faires are a once-a-year chance for visitors to experience an Elizabethan England-meets-‘World of Warcraft’ fantasy land. But for the travelling performers, festival life means the freedom to choose unconventional families and an alternative to mainstream culture and mores.
Freedom, fantasy, family – the sundry allures of the American Renaissance faire
Directors: Jarred Alterman, Ryan Scafuro
Producer: Ryan Scafuro
Editor: Jarred Alterman
Cinematographers: Jarred Alterman, Ryan Scafuro
Music: Tyler and Wesley Powell
19 November 2015
videoTechnology and the self
Elves and wizards go to work: a day in the life of online role-playing devotees
4 minutes
videoSports and games
Thrill to the motorbike hellriders who make their living on the wall of death
9 minutes
videoRituals and celebrations
Not just a party: Rio’s Carnaval is a choreographed celebration of life
6 minutes
videoGlobal history
Meet the jesters who’ve spoken truth to power around the globe and across centuries
5 minutes
videoSports and games
A unique project frames college football as an intricately choreographed mass ritual
7 minutes
videoSubcultures
Meet eccentric DIY tech innovator and world record holder Collin Furze
3 minutes
videoPersonality
Magic from the mundane – paper towels flourish in the hands of a coffeeshop artist
2 minutes
videoHome
How an artist transformed a dilapidated hunting lodge into a house made of dreams
8 minutes
videoRituals and celebrations
A beginner’s guide to a joyful Persian tradition of spring renewal and rebirth
3 minutes