Tag Archives: journey

Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin

The U.S. release date of NOMAD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BRUCE CHATWIN has been postponed by the U.S. distributor Music Box Films in response to COVID-19. For more information or questions related to the U.S. release of the film, visit https://www.musicboxfilms.com/film/nomad-in-the-footsteps-of-bruce-chatwin/

When legendary writer and adventurer Bruce Chatwin was dying of AIDS, he summoned his friend and collaborator Werner Herzog, asking to see his recent film about tribesman of the Sahara. In exchange, as a parting gift, Chatwin gave Herzog the rucksack he’d carried on his travels around the world.

Thirty years later, carrying the rucksack, Herzog sets out on his own journey, inspired by their shared passion for the nomadic life. Along the way, Herzog uncovers stories of lost tribes, wanderers and dreamers.

He travels to South America, where Chatwin wrote In Patagonia, the book that turned him into a literary sensation, with its enigmatic tales of dinosaurs, myths and journeys to the ends of the world.

In Australia, where Herzog and Chatwin first met, Herzog explores the sacred power of the Aboriginal traditions which inspired Chatwin’s most famous book, The Songlines. And in the UK, in the beautiful landscape of the Welsh borders, he discovers the one place Chatwin called home.

Told in Herzog’s inimitable style, full of memorable characters and encounters, the film explores the creative and personal vision he shared with Chatwin: a passion for the power of storytelling and desire to find insights into human experience among communities at the extremes.

A portrait of one of the 20th century’s most charismatic writers, the film also offers a revealing personal insight into the imagination and obsessions of one of the world’s most visionary directors.

Selected at Tribeca Film Festival and Sheffield Doc Fest 

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“Duplicating many of Chatwin’s most notable journeys, Herzog evokes the late English wanderer’s restless soul and curious fascination with profound issues that have long captivated the director… this sincere homage should entice adventurous viewers … conveys a sense of profound beauty and primordial mystery.”

Variety

 

“An encomium to a lost friend…  Herzog imbues the film with rich narration, unforgettable characters and National Geographic-worthy landscape shots all his own.”

Rolling Stone

 

“A poignant testament to two friends’ shared curiosity about the world… admirers of either artist will find it very worthwhile, as will viewers who need the occasional reminder that the world still contains wild places to explore.”

Hollywood Reporter

 

“A lovely, elegiac documentary about two men who shared a real brotherhood.”

Film International

 

“Fans of Herzog’s and Chatwin’s and either/or would love this documentary… in some ways, it’s larger than life, just as both the director and its subject.”

Film Threat

 

“Does not just want to craft a film worthy of the late writer’s legacy, but also seeks to let viewers inside Herzog. Appearing on screen often and narrating the picture, as much of what is learned has to do with Herzog as it does with Chatwin.

In that manner, it’s a fascinating project for devotees of the filmmaker to pour themselves into. Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin is undoubtedly Herzog’s most personal non-fiction work to date. He imbues the entire project with a sense of profound duty.”

AwardsCircuit.com

 

“The relationship between the prolific filmmaker Werner Herzog and writer / adventurer, Bruce Chatwin was a meeting of the minds. These two multi-talented, uniquely creative geniuses shared an insatiable curiosity and sense of adventure. Visionary in the practice of their art and nomadic in their lives, they shared much in common.

It is a poetic elegiac journey for Herzog, who shares his own reflections and enriches a glorious tribute. One feels privileged to be along on this trip.”

Musée Magazine

Ayahuasca: Expansion of Consciousness

Ayhuasca: Expansion of Consciousness, tells the story of Ayahuasca, from its emergence in the Amazonian Forest, to its popularity with the Santo Daime religion, and on to its arrival in urban centres. 

Combining scientific, religious and anthropological perspectives on the use of Ayahuasca in modern society, and in parallel with the director Fausto Noro’s own healing process, Ayhuasca: Expansion of Consciousness provides for the first time, a holistic, yet balanced view of this controversial subject.

Why I’m Not On Facebook

One man’s soul searching decision on whether or not he should join Facebook sets him off on an epic journey of self-discovery as he weighs the pros and cons of becoming a member of the world’s largest social network.

From long lost high school friends who use it to stay in touch with classmates, to the pick-up artist who trolls the site to score with women, to the criminal who tracks your every movement to know when to rob your house, the best and worst of Facebook is on display. We meet couples bought together using the site, and those driven apart, people who are addicted to its charms and even the Winklevoss twins, the co-creators of Facebook.

Blending interviews with news clips, TV shows and other archival footage, Brant Pindivic documents his search for the meaning of Facebook with a storytelling style that is both personal and endearing, throwing up surprises through out his journey.

The deeper he explores the social network’s vice like grip on those who use it the more he realizes the answers to its popularity lie within.   Whether you’re a fan of Facebook or not, this is one film that is funny, fascinating and a must for anyone wondering what everyone is talking about.

Finding Fidel

Finding Fidel tells the remarkable story of war cameraman Erik Durschmied, who in 1958 journeyed to Cuba’s Sierra Maestra mountains to interview a little-known rebel leader named Fidel Castro. A month later, Castro’s band of fighters rolled into Havana, and the world would never be the same.

Intercutting Durschmeid’s reflections on the lost promise of Castro’s Revolution with his rarely seen interview with the young Fidel, award winning filmmaker Bay Weyman explores the hinge of fate, the vagaries of history, and the power of media in both men’s lives.

Durschmied spent weeks in Castro’s guerrilla headquarters, filming fascinating scenes of camp life with the rebels, and conducting the only known English-language interview with Fidel from the period just before he came to power. The interview is a unique time capsule, vividly depicting Castro’s early views, his struggle against the dictator Batista, and his goals for the Revolution.

“There is no Communism or Marxism in our idea,” Fidel insists. “Our political philosophy is representative democracy and social justice in a well-planned economy.”

Finding Fidel follows Durschmied as he returns to Cuba on the 50th Anniversary of the Revolution, retracing his original route to the mountains. Durschmied tells the true story behind his interviews with Fidel, and of the future dictator’s consummate use of the media to control his message and create his image. The daring young cameraman brought Castro’s message to the world just as Havana fell, and as a result his career took off.

Though he has witnessed many of the major events of our times, for Durschmied the interview on a mountaintop in Cuba remains the most meaningful. As he returns to Castro’s camp in the Sierra Maestra, he finds an unexpected touchstone that marks the beginning and end of the journey.

Afghan Memento

In 1988, Olivier Brodard -a twenty one year old idealist- made a six-month humanitarian trip to Afghanistan under Soviet occupation with $50,000 in his backpack destined for the local populations.

Entering illegally via Pakistan Olivier, along with his friend Paul Castella, made the arduous journey on foot, camel and tank to the Pansir Valley. They met commander Massoud and shared the daily life of the afghan people witnessing first hand the front line of the Afghan battle against the Soviet Union.

When Olivier reluctantly returned home to Switzerland, he had a terrible car accident. After weeks in a deep coma, he woke up with severe amnesia and the new challenge of rebuilding his life.

With the help of his detailed diaries and photographs taken at the time, Olivier attempts to explore his memories and recover a part of his own identity that had been lost.

Afghan Memento tells the story of a fearless journey made by two men in their prime, but more than that, it is an elegant rendering of where our experiences, memories and identity intersect.