In 2005, Brook Silva-Braga quit his job at HBO in New York City to go backpacking around the world.
Only Brook wasn't your typical backpacker.
He had a background in video production and planned to create a documentary about long term travel based on his year-long experience.
I had a sneaking suspicion that watching A Map for Saturday after my own 'round the world trip would be pointless, and sure enough, there were few surprises.
On the other hand, Brook did a great job of capturing often-overlooked downsides to long term travel, such as burnout and the concept of five-hour (or disposable) friends.
I recognized scenes and cities from many of the countries he visited, including Australia, Thailand, Nepal, India, and a variety of western European countries.
I even stayed in the same Original Backpackers hostel in Sydney (2008) that's shown early on in the film.
In that regard, it was like taking a stroll down memory lane.
Brook's adventures did happen to coincide with several noteworthy news stories, which made the documentary more interesting.
He arrived on beautiful Koh Phi Phi in Thailand a few months after the tsunami, thus capturing the scenes of backpackers helping to clear debris.
And he was in Nepal at a time when there was greater concern about travelers' safety due to the Maoist resistance.
Rent this movie on Amazon Video if you want:
- A well-edited, honest, inside look at the modern backpacker lifestyle.
- A way to kill time keep yourself inspired until you can take your own trip.
- To reflect on travel experiences you've taken in the past.
megan says
I really enjoyed this documentary. It really helped keep me motivated to save for my own trip, and watching it again a few days before I left, (most of) my doubts evaporated and I knew that I was making the right choice. Highly recommended for those considering their own trips, but yes I agree that once you start travelling there are few surprises in it.
Dave says
Hi Megan - congrats on your RTW trip!
The Backpack Foodie says
I watched "A Map for Saturday" - twice - in the months leading to my 9 months trip. At the time, I found it profoundly inspiring, and I was often in tears as it echoed my own yearning to quit my job and see the world.
I've now come back from my trip, and although I haven't rewatched it yet, thinking back on it there was very little of Brooke's experience that mirrors my own. I strayed well clear of the tourist circuit most of the time, and I traveled with my spouse. My trip was also focused a lot more on connecting with locals, a dimension I find sorely lacking from Brooke's film. It's really more about the young RTW backpackers scene, which mostly sticks together on the party hostel route, and that was definitely not what I wanted out of travel once I hit the road.
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