Inspiring movies to watch before the Camino

I’ve seen many of such movies, before I decided to go on El Camino. If you are also interested in the pilgrimage it could be interesting for you to watch some of them too.

The Way (2010)

This is the number one film about El Camino, maybe you already saw it, and this is why you are here now. If not, you definately have to watch this movie:

'The Way' is a drama about a father (Martin Sheen), whose son (played by Emilio Estevez, who is Martin Sheen’s son in real life, too) dies in a storm in the mountains, on the first day of El Camino. The elderly man decides to complete the pilgrimage, mourning his son.

Director: Emilio Estevez
Cast:
Emilio Estevez - Daniel
Martin Sheen - Tom
Deborah Kara Unger - Sarah
James Nesbitt - Jack
Yorick van Wageningen - Joost
Tchéky Karyo - Captain Henri
Spencer Garrett - Phil
Ángela Molina - Angélica

Wild (2014)

Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) is young woman feeling she has lost everything. Her life is in ruins (and she has done everything to ruin it). She can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but that light is far ahead. Even though she has never hiked before, she suddenly decides to take a 1500 kilometre hike on the so-called Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which stretches along the west coast of the USA. She crosses the Mojave desert, then the Sierra Nevada, and walks across the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, straight till the Canadian border. She endures snow, heat, and most of all: loneliness. Of course, she meets a lot of people during her trip, she even makes new friends and survives some frightening adventures, but finds real company in her mind, among the people from her wasted life.

· Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

· Screenplay: Nick Hornby, Cheryl Strayed

· Director of Photography: Yves Bélanger

Cast:

Cheryl Strayed - Reese Witherspoon

Aimee - Gaby Hoffmann

Bobbi - Laura Dern

Jonathan - Michiel Huisman

Ranger - Brian Van Holt

Tj - Charles Baker

Greg - Kevin Rankin

Into the Wild (2007)

The freshly graduated 22-year-old Christopher McCandless has a promising future ahead. But instead of a safe and secure career, he chooses the unknown, and goes on an adventure across the USA. What then happened with this young man has become a symbol for countless other people. Was McCandless a heroic traveler, or a naïve idealist? Was he a reincarnation of Thoreau in the 1990s, or just another American boy lost his way? A daring adventurer, or a tragic character, who started a war against the fragile balance between humans and nature? The journey of McCandless spanned from the wheat fields of South Dakota, through the rivers of Colorado and the neo-hippie colony of California to the desired, but dangerous wilderness of Alaska. On his way, he met some people, who had a huge influence on his way of thinking, and whose life he also has changed.

Director: Sean Penn

Written by: Jon Krakauer

Screenplay: Sean Penn

Director of Photography: Eric Gautier

Music: Eddie Vedder

Cast:

Christopher McCandless - Emile Hirsch

Wayne Westerberg - Vince Vaughn

Ron Franz - Hal Holbrook

Tracy - Kristen Stewart

Carine McCandless - Jena Malone

Billie McCandless - Marcia Gay Harden

Walt McCandless - William Hurt

Jan Burres - Catherine Keener

Kevin - Zach Galifianakis

A Walk in the Woods (2015)

‘Having spent two decades in England, Bill Bryson returns to the States and decides to take a hike on the Appalachian Trail with his friend.’

Directed by:
Ken Kwapis
Cast:
Bill Bryson - Robert Redford
Katz - Nick Nolte
Jeannie - Mary Steenburgen
Mary Ellen - Kristen Schaal

Tracks

A young woman goes on a 1,700-mile trek across the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog. In 1977, Robyn Davidson travels from Alice Springs across 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) of Australian deserts to the Indian Ocean with her dog and four camels. National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan documents her journey.

Director: John Curran

Writers: Marion Nelson (screenplay),

Robyn Davidson (book)

Cast

Mia Wasikowska as Robyn Davidson

Adam Driver as Rick Smolan

Rolley Mintuma as Mr. Eddie

Brendan Maclean as Peter

Rainer Bock as Kurt

Jessica Tovey as Jenny

Emma Booth as Marg

Documentaries

Six Ways to Santiago: Walking the Camino

Following the journeys of six modern-day pilgrims as they cope with blisters, exhaustion, and loneliness, “Walking the Camino” explores the universal themes of this physically challenging, spiritually nourishing, and profoundly enlightening journey. While each of the six pilgrims walks the Camino for different reasons and with varied backgrounds, they each experience personal triumphs over their own doubts and fears. There is no single right way to live life, nor is there a single right way to walk the Camino. “Walking the Camino” not only illustrates the importance that we must each follow our own path in life, it encourages and inspires us to do so wholeheartedly.

Footprints (available on Netflix)

Footprints is the documentary film based on the story of 11 roman catholic men who walked the Way of St. James to reach Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of St. James the Greater lie.
(Dont forget to turn on the subtitles on Netflix for Spanish dialogues)

Phil's Camino

Phil's story continues to impact everyone who hears it. It inspires those with serious diagnoses and those who are just wanting to live more fully.

Award winning short documentary tell the story of free spirit Phil, a man living with Stage 4 cancer and dreaming of walking the 500 mile spiritual pilgrimage Camino de Santiago across Spain. Unable to make the trip, he does the next best thing: he builds a camino in the forest behind his house, starts to walk, and traces his progress on a map. Phil's journey is one of hope, acceptance, and freedom, and is sure to inspire anyone who has ever dreamed of doing something that sounded impossible. Upon reaching ‘Santiago de Compostela’ - without ever leaving his backyard - Phil gets a clean scan and his doctors grant him a 'chemo holiday', or permission to miss one chemo treatment. He now has 28 days to go and walk the ancient route in Spain. Along the way he realizes his true pilgrimage is the one he travels within.

This remarkable journey is one of hope, acceptance, and freedom, and is sure to inspire anyone who has ever dreamed of doing something that sounded impossible and has **WON 16** out of 25 Festivals.

Available on DVD here

Life in a Walk

Life in a Walk begins as a journey to connect with family and ends as an inspiration to cherish relationships. Never wanting to say 'I wish I'd spent more time with my Dad,' director Yogi Roth invites his father on a walk along the Camino De Santiago that would change their lives forever.

This feature-length documentary will influence every parent, child or friend to the core, while challenging each of us to spend time with those we love.

I'll Push you

"I'll Push You" starring lifelong friends, Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray, on their successful completion of the 500 mile pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, where Patrick pushed Justin in a wheelchair the entire way. This film is about their struggle, their friendship, and faith in themselves to accomplish the impossible.

Camino de Santiago Documentary Film - The Way

The journey of Mark Shea. A nice and honest documentary about the Camino from 2004.

Do More with Less

‘Do More With Less' is a conversation between over 100 hikers traveling from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Throughout the 2,660 miles and endless challenges the community talks about hiking, abandoning the grid, and how to live an adventurous lifestyle. This film is not-for-profit and was made to give back to the PCT community.