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Back in November, I recommended Brook Silva-Braga’s travel documentary, A Map for Saturday, as the perfect holiday gift for the independent traveler. I wrote:
Brook was an Emmy-winning producer with HBO’s Inside the NFL, when he quit his job to take a trip around the world. Carrying nothing on his back but five pounds of clothes and 30 pounds of camera equipment, Brook created one of the best documentaries about round-the-world travel that’s ever been produced.
The film presents perfectly what traveling is all about– intense friendships that end much too quickly, the invigorating experience of near-constant movement around the globe, interacting with people from dozens of countries, learning what you’re made of, trying to figure out what the world is all about.
For those who still haven’t seen the outstanding documentary, this is your lucky day. Brook recently informed me that MTV will be airing A Map for Saturday tomorrow (March 1) night at 10 pm EST.
Be sure to check it out then, or keep an eye out for the inevitable “encore presentations” that are sure to follow.
February 29th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Can’t wait, just afraid that it will be “MTV-ized”, seeing how on the tv guide its “True Life” instead of what it is really called. Don’t ruin this MTV!
February 29th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Great. I don’t think independent travel needs the exposure of MTV. How soon before independent travel becomes corporate and the goal of having an authentic, local experience disappears?
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:07 am
MTV actually helped bring the movie to the marketplace and did not (as per the film) wish to change anything. Moreover, the film and a follow-up special have both shown by MTV already, so any added effect from this showing is likely to be muted. In other words, sit back, grab some popcorn, lighten up, and enjoy the film.
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:14 am
And one more thing, Rolf himself reported from Thailand about the assimilation of backpacking culture nearly 10 years ago when trying to spy on the making of “The Beach,” but independent travel still exists. You could even accuse Rolf damaging the notion of “authentic” travel via this book, which is one of the main reasons this site exists. Independent travel will continue to thrive, regardless of MTV, the Lonely Planet, Moon guidebooks, or anything or anyone’s purposeful or accidental efforts otherwise.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:52 am
Brian,
I did watch it on MTV and would have liked to have seen it broadcast for its full length. But, I’d like to be sitting next to you in a hostel somewhere and see the expression on your face when a group of obnoxious backpackers walk in with their MTV guidebooks that say “Go, Stay, Play” on them. Let’s see if they know what it means to vagabond.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Scott,
Fair enough, but the above scenario has always been the case. As an example, Prague hostels quake at the sight of British backpackers visitng for the weekend, coming to get rip roaring drunk, trash the city, and employ the talents of the legal ladies of the night. MTV had nothing to do with them being there, nor did the movie. Remember that it’s heart, travel (authentic, commercial, or stag parties looking for trouble) is commerce, exchanging ideas, information, and culture as well as money, goods, and services. One can only hope that the movie (which does uphold the vagabond ethos quite well) touches people more deeply than “Let’s go to Laos where the booze must be really cheap!”