Pilgrims on the big screen: Ode to the Camino!
The Walk of Wisdom is partly inspired by the camino to Santiago de Compostela. In this centuries-old pilgrimage tradition, values such as hospitality and brotherhood are cherished, which we ourselves also find important. In the development of our symbols and rituals, we have also learned a lot from the ritual creativity of the camino. Our marker Jasper Koedam wrote the following tips for films about the camino. Jasper was editor-in-chief of the Dutch Association of Pilgrims to Santiago and worked for many years at the Netherlands Film Museum. Great tips for the dark days!
Pilgrims on the silver screen
Jasper Koedam
Much is written about the camino to Santiago de Compostela. Almost every month a book about pilgrimage is published. Films about pilgrims seem less prominent, while there are a number of beautiful films made about pilgrim life and the camino. Which movies should you definitely see?
Ich bin dann mal weg (Julia Von Heinz, Germany, 2015)
Atmospheric film adaptation of the book of the same name by the well-known German comedian and presenter Hape Kerkeling. Kerkeling walked from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela in 2001 at the age of 36, after he was forced to take a sabbatical year due to the removal of his gallbladder and an incipient deafness. The account of his pilgrimage became a bestseller in Germany.
A feel-good film that is recognizable to many pilgrims about the pain, loneliness and endlessness of the camino, but also about joy, pride, friendship and the search for spirituality.
Walking the camino (Lydia B. Smith, USA, 2013)
At times moving American documentary in which six pilgrims from all over the world are followed during their journey to Santiago de Compostela. Everyone has their own motivation to undertake the journey. Director Lydia B. Smith walked the camino in 2008 when she was at a crossroads in her life. A year later, she returned to Spain with a film crew to make a film about it.
A very inspiring film, in which the essence of the camino and pilgrimage is clearly highlighted. Warning: after watching this film, you will immediately feel like putting on your hiking boots!
Camino: a feature length selfie (Martin de Vries, The Netherlands, 2019)
Pure and slow pilgrimage film by Martin de Vries about his pilgrimage from Le Puy-en-Velay in central France to Santiago. As he walks, he films himself, his feet, his shadow, the path, the fields and the woods and tries to figure out why he embarked on this adventure.
The film tries to show the essence of the camino in an original way. No conversations with fellow pilgrims, no images of inns; Only the lonely walker on his path who experiences more and more the silence within himself. A film about the everydayness and addiction of being on the road on foot.
I’ll push you (Chris Karcher, Terry Parish, USA, 2017)
For some people, the pilgrimage to Santiago is primarily a sporting challenge, but for most pilgrims it is above all a spiritual journey. For childhood friends Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray, the challenge was extra great. Justin suffers from a progressive muscle disease (MAMA), which prevents him from moving his arms and legs. In addition to the physical strain that a pilgrimage entails, Patrick also had to push, wash, lift in and out of bed, feed and dress his friend in an adapted wheelchair.
Impressive documentary about friendship, self-development and making the impossible possible.
The Way (Emilio Estévez, USA, 2013)
The Way is without a doubt the most famous camino film starring none other than star actor Martin Sheen. Sheen plays Tom Avery, a confident American ophthalmologist, who travels to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the foot of the Pyrenees to retrieve the remains of his son Daniel. The adventurous boy died in the mountains during a storm at the beginning of his journey to Santiago de Compostela. In the end, Tom decides to make the trip to Santiago himself, scattering his dead son’s ashes along the way. After some skepticism, he is also captivated by the camino and learns to understand his deceased son.
The most popular film among pilgrims: a feast of recognition and a film about pilgrim values such as tolerance and trust.
