Key points
Counter culture throwback
If you are looking for something interesting to watch this weekend consider the sixties counter culture documentary Edge of Paradise. Edge of Paradise is a re-edited version of the documentary film Taylor Camp. The one hour and twenty-five film documents the lives and lifestyle of the people who lived in Taylor Camp (named after Howard Taylor brother of Elizabeth Taylor) in Hawaii from 1969-1977. Taylor Camp chronicles the close to nature often nude way of life adopted by the camp dwellers. The cinematography is gorgeous, the vistas are beautiful, the old footage captivating.
Fascinating stories
The origin of Taylor Camp and the stories of the people who were a part of the camp is fascinating. The formation of a community from what was supposed to be a temporary place is an incredible thing to see. Built on land that was owned by Elizabeth Taylor’s brother, Taylor Camp was a war time refuge for surfers, hippies and counter culture dropouts. On the seven acre piece of beachside land was home to a diverse variety of people. It was an eccentric collection of people including a resident full-time nudist who took advantage of the freedom to always be nude.
Diverse community
The people including families of Taylor Camp shared resources and grew their own food. There was a fair amount if freedom for people, and lived with social nudity being the norm. Taylor Campers felt free to wear as mush or as little clothes as they chose. Even in the general store the people selling might be found without any clothes on. There would be push back if some tried to forced another person to be naked if they didn’t want to. The diversity of people of all races and backgrounds is one of the most interesting aspects of the Taylor Camp community. Californians, New Yorkers, and native Hawaiians, army vets, war protesters, singles, couples, married, divorced all found there way to Taylor Camp. Seems like a minor miracle they managed to get along for as long as they did. The sad ending of Taylor Camp was due to the Hawaiian government’s intolerance. The park they evicted the Taylor Camp residents to build never came to be.
Conclusion
If you want to take a trip back in time to the counter culture age of the sixties where freedom was paramount and social nudity not uncommon watch Taylor Camp. Hear the story of this sixties utopia, the people who lived it the people who didn’t like it, the way it started and ended.
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Ways to watch
