During the turbulent sixties, there was a safe haven from the chaos - a hippie treehouse village on a Kauai beach.During the turbulent sixties, there was a safe haven from the chaos - a hippie treehouse village on a Kauai beach.During the turbulent sixties, there was a safe haven from the chaos - a hippie treehouse village on a Kauai beach.
- Directors
- Writer
Photos
Storyline
Featured review
The best documentary you've never heard of
In 1969, Elizabeth Taylor's brother Howard owned a parcel of 7 acres on Kauai's North Shore. He planned to build a large family compound on the site. When he was rebuffed by state authorities on zoning grounds, he offered a group of 13 hippies and surfers--who had recently been arrested for vagrancy--the opportunity to camp there. What emerged over the next 8 years was a thriving community, with new arrivals of hippies, surfers, disaffected intellectuals, and Vietnam veterans cycling in and out through word of mouth.
The documentary "Taylor Camp" is an extraordinary look at the community these individuals built, documented by gorgeous black and white photos from the 70's, and by interviews with the "campers" 35 years later. As such, it not only offers a window into what this "hippie haven" was like, it offers a fascinating time-lapse into who these people are today, providing one answer to the question, "What ever became of the counterculture?"
Participants of Taylor Camp are quick to point out that this was not a commune; the camp was neither planned nor organized in advance. It had no formal rules or government, nor any overarching philosophy. Taylor campers were guided by commonsense values of joy, growth, and fellowship. As for the movie itself, the documentary came about only through a unique confluence of events: Without the breathtaking, contemporaneous photographs by John Wehrheim, the movie could never have happened, not to mention the producers' ability to assemble the original campers for interviews--a great set of characters--35 years later.
Wehrheim himself was never actually a member of the community; a resident of Kauai, he would drop into the community periodically, armed with his cameras, and rolls of film. When he first showed up in 1971, he was seen as an interloper, and members shied away from him. Only two campers, sisters Teri and Debi Green wanted their portraits taken. However, when he returned a week later with beautiful 8x10 art prints of Teri and Debi, the other campers took notice, and he quickly became the most popular guy on campus. I cannot overemphasize how gorgeous his b&w photography is.
I bought my copy of the movie on Amazon, and have told everyone who will listen, "this is the best documentary you've never heard of. It is a must-see." See this movie if you ever wondered what the hippie movement and counterculture were all about; it should be placed in a time capsule for future generations. See this movie if you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a tree house in paradise. See this movie if you wondered what sexual freedom really looked like. See this movie if you ever wondered what it would be like to walk and swim naked down the Napali coast of Kauai.
Taylor Camp was a reality for eight very special years, but it is also a state of mind, firmly embedded in the memories of the campers. The interviews are terrific and compelling. At core, this is a film about the people of Taylor Camp, and once you meet them, you will go away feeling good about the human condition.
The documentary "Taylor Camp" is an extraordinary look at the community these individuals built, documented by gorgeous black and white photos from the 70's, and by interviews with the "campers" 35 years later. As such, it not only offers a window into what this "hippie haven" was like, it offers a fascinating time-lapse into who these people are today, providing one answer to the question, "What ever became of the counterculture?"
Participants of Taylor Camp are quick to point out that this was not a commune; the camp was neither planned nor organized in advance. It had no formal rules or government, nor any overarching philosophy. Taylor campers were guided by commonsense values of joy, growth, and fellowship. As for the movie itself, the documentary came about only through a unique confluence of events: Without the breathtaking, contemporaneous photographs by John Wehrheim, the movie could never have happened, not to mention the producers' ability to assemble the original campers for interviews--a great set of characters--35 years later.
Wehrheim himself was never actually a member of the community; a resident of Kauai, he would drop into the community periodically, armed with his cameras, and rolls of film. When he first showed up in 1971, he was seen as an interloper, and members shied away from him. Only two campers, sisters Teri and Debi Green wanted their portraits taken. However, when he returned a week later with beautiful 8x10 art prints of Teri and Debi, the other campers took notice, and he quickly became the most popular guy on campus. I cannot overemphasize how gorgeous his b&w photography is.
I bought my copy of the movie on Amazon, and have told everyone who will listen, "this is the best documentary you've never heard of. It is a must-see." See this movie if you ever wondered what the hippie movement and counterculture were all about; it should be placed in a time capsule for future generations. See this movie if you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a tree house in paradise. See this movie if you wondered what sexual freedom really looked like. See this movie if you ever wondered what it would be like to walk and swim naked down the Napali coast of Kauai.
Taylor Camp was a reality for eight very special years, but it is also a state of mind, firmly embedded in the memories of the campers. The interviews are terrific and compelling. At core, this is a film about the people of Taylor Camp, and once you meet them, you will go away feeling good about the human condition.
helpful•80
- jeffpsy
- Jan 31, 2016
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $275,000 (estimated)
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content