Raglan Film Festival: WALKING THE CAMINO- SIX WAYS TO SANTIAGO

An up-close look at one of humanity’s most time-honoured traditions: walking the ancient pilgrim path, the Camino de Santiago. Millions of people from all over the world have travelled this route – which stretches 500 miles across Spain to the city of Santiago de Compostela – for over 1,000 years. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims sought forgiveness of their sins and admission to heaven and the Camino remains, for many, a quest of faith. Whatever their motivation, no one can predict just how their path will unfold, who they will meet, what personal demons or angels they will face, or what transformations they will undergo by the trail’s end.

Sydney Morning Herald – 3 Stars “In between encounters with individuals, Smith gives us images of the landscape and the natural world. Sometimes compositions emphasise solitude and isolation, sometimes intimacy and proximity. Blisters and soreness are a recurring theme, although there is regular emphasis on the inner journey that’s just as important as the physical one. People start to shed doubts and fears, as well as physical objects.”

NZ Herald – 3 Stars “A love letter to a life-changing experience, this portrait of a sextet of walkers on the famous Camino Frances that finishes at Santiago de Compostela tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the undertaking, from the sleeping arrangements to the size of the probable blisters.”