Camino Skies (new film)

[JohnLloyd]

I've just seen this trailer for a new Camino film in an email from Curzon Cinemas.

Camino Skies film

Has anyone seen this?

Is it worth a tenner?

 

[wayfarer]

Looks interesting.

 

[dougfitz]

It was released in Australia and NZ last year (2019). I knew two of the six people walking before I saw it, but not the other four. It is pretty gritty in places, and the editing certainly highlighted interesting individual pecadilloes. I think it is worth seeing.

 

[tpmchugh]

I've just seen this trailer for a new Camino film in an email from Curzon Cinemas.

Camino Skies film

Has anyone seen this?

Is it worth a tenner?

I know a couple of the pilgrims involved in this. They were walking a week behind me and I had an arrangement with one of the ladies to meet up and exchange copies of our books. Unknown to me, she had arranged for the exchange to be included in the film. Unfortunately, I fell into an overflowing river just before Espinal and had to be hauled, unconscious, out of the freezing river. Although I felt well enough to carry on, my family at home were anxious so I got to Burgos and flew home from Bilbao. So there you have it, its a good film but you wont see me in it. The ladie by the way is Claude Tranchant and her book, Boots to Bliss is a good read. We did exchange books by post and she insisted that I sent her my water damaged copy

 

[JohnLloyd]

Wow, it sounds like you were following in Martin’s footsteps too, falling into a river!

What’s your book called?
Let’s do an exchange of our own.

 

[igailfh]

I haven't seen the film yet. It's on my 'to get' list when I get a DVD player. I do know it's of a Camino by three Kiwis & three Australians & the trailers look good. Claude's book is well worth reading.

 

[Septarian]

I’ve seen it. I liked it. I thought it was a good take on the Camino and walking through grief. I could really relate when she lay on the side of the track and said to leave her, she just wanted to die.

 

[Carol06]

I went to see it here in NZ and to be honest it was very disappointing. It was about grief rather than the Camino. And it was so disappointing to hear all the comments afterwards and people saying "well, there is no way I would do that. You would have to be mad." I wanted to shout out that the camino is not like that.

 

[Bala]

I spent a night in an albergue with the cast and crew, and had a long chat and almost shared a cab with a couple of their injured members (ended up connecting with someone going to my specific destination). So I would love to see it. But as far as I know it hasn't been shown in the US yet. If anyone knows where I could get a DVD or watch on YouTube, etc., please let me know.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

There is no other source in the US market to obtain this video, except via DVD at a cost of $28.00 / 25.50 Euro. It takes up to 6 weeks to ship and recieve. It is region-free, meaning that any DVD player anywhere in the world can play the dvd.

It is my understanding that the production costs were covered with Crowdfunding, so I cannot understand the huge cost of this dvd compared to a typical dvd purchase. But I am wondering why it is not available, at least in the US market, through a streaming service (paid or otherwise) such as Prime Video or Netflix, etc. I say this not knowing what it might take to get a video published to Netflix, etc.

I'd be willing to 'rent' it for viewing if the rental cost was under 10 dollars. I will not purchase a 28 dollar dvd. Hopefully, this can be marketed a bit better in terms of reaching the casual viewing consumer in our area of the globe.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I spent a night in an albergue with the cast and crew, and had a long chat and almost shared a cab with a couple of their injured members (ended up connecting with someone going to my specific destination). So I would love to see it. But as far as I know it hasn't been shown in the US yet. If anyone knows where I could get a DVD or watch on YouTube, etc., please let me know.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WYW8NLH/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I've just seen this trailer for a new Camino film in an email from Curzon Cinemas.

Camino Skies film

Has anyone seen this?

Is it worth a tenner?

I'd take the chance and spend the money. Unfortunately, Curzon is not available as a service in North America / United States.

Brierley did a bit of a review of the video here

 

[RJM]

I went to see it here in NZ and to be honest it was very disappointing. It was about grief rather than the Camino. And it was so disappointing to hear all the comments afterwards and people saying "well, there is no way I would do that. You would have to be mad." I wanted to shout out that the camino is not like that.

I do not care for Camino films that portray walking it in too dramatic, too hazardous a manner. That can be such a turn-off for people thinking of walking it, not too mention it simply is not that dramatic or hazardous a walk.
There was a film that came out a few years ago showing several young men from the US walking one of the Camino routes and based on the trailer I saw about it, they made it look like a death march.
Even that one made about seven years ago following six pilgrims doing the Frances was too dramatic IMO.
I suppose if one were to do a film showing how it actually is, it would be rather boring. One of those things one does that is most interesting to them than anyone else.

 

[Anamiri]

I went to see it here in NZ and to be honest it was very disappointing. It was about grief rather than the Camino. And it was so disappointing to hear all the comments afterwards and people saying "well, there is no way I would do that. You would have to be mad." I wanted to shout out that the camino is not like that.

Yes, it is definitely a grief story rather than a Camino story. We saw this in a small beautiful boutique cinema, and I enjoyed the cinema more than the film. I took some friends with me, people who love hiking (who hadn't walked the Camino) who were disappointed and found it depressing. There were a few people like me who had walked, and I could hear them saying, 'you really would enjoy it' to others.
My husband came away convinced that he would need boots because of all the mud and rain, and I had to convince him, the weather wouldn't be like that when we walked, and his shoes would be just fine in September!.
I think the name of the movie sets expectations from some that it will showcase the Camino, if you didn't have those expectations you would probably enjoy it.

 

[dougfitz]

There is no other source in the US market to obtain this video, except via DVD at a cost of $28.00 / 25.50 Euro. It takes up to 6 weeks to ship and recieve. It is region-free, meaning that any DVD player anywhere in the world can play the dvd.

It is my understanding that the production costs were covered with Crowdfunding, so I cannot understand the huge cost of this dvd compared to a typical dvd purchase. But I am wondering why it is not available, at least in the US market, through a streaming service (paid or otherwise) such as Prime Video or Netflix, etc. I say this not knowing what it might take to get a video published to Netflix, etc.

I'd be willing to 'rent' it for viewing if the rental cost was under 10 dollars. I will not purchase a 28 dollar dvd. Hopefully, this can be marketed a bit better in terms of reaching the casual viewing consumer in our area of the globe.

Interesting, @davebugg. The DVD is available in Australia for AUD 16.67, or just under USD 11. It would appear that the distribution channels might be the source of the high costs, not the film's producers themselves.

 

[dougfitz]

Yes, it is definitely a grief story rather than a Camino story. We saw this in a small beautiful boutique cinema, and I enjoyed the cinema more than the film. I took some friends with me, people who love hiking (who hadn't walked the Camino) who were disappointed and found it depressing. There were a few people like me who had walked, and I could hear them saying, 'you really would enjoy enjoy it' to others.
My husband came away convinced that he would need boots because of all the mud and rain, and I had to convince him, the weather wouldn't be like that when we walked, and his shoes would be just fine in September!.
I think the name of the movie sets expectations from some that it will showcase the Camino, if you didn't have those expectations you would probably enjoy it.

I didn't see it quite that way, but certainly there was a high level of physical and emotional pain on display, and perhaps the depiction of grief did dominate overall.

My own take is that it is very difficult to create a satisfactory cinematic climax in arriving at the cathedral in Santiago. The plaza is an enormous space, and any one pilgrim is small in comparison to the grandeur of the surroundings, that then overwhelm the individual in this culminating moment of their journey. In those circumstances, how does the pilgrim's personal sense of their arrival being a climactic culmination get depicted. Contrast that with the climax at ending of The Way at Finisterre, where from memory the quartet dominate the landscape, and there is clearly a compelling finale to Tom's personal journey.

So I can understand that some people would think that it lacks the punch of a well produced fictional narrative, or the sparkle of a carefully orchestrated 'reality' production such as the BBC pilgrimage series.

 

[Isca-camigo]

I just watched it on the Curzon website, I quite liked it, it did challenge my OCD tendency at times by obviously seeming to indicate things were happening in a linear fashion when they were not, but a couple of large glasses of red wine helped me get over it. It's a recommend.

I went to see it here in NZ and to be honest it was very disappointing. It was about grief rather than the Camino. And it was so disappointing to hear all the comments afterwards and people saying "well, there is no way I would do that. You would have to be mad." I wanted to shout out that the camino is not like that.

It's not like that for you and me but it is for some people, The healing aspect of the Camino can touch us all, their pilgrimage is just as valid as anyone else's if not more so.

 

[timr]

I watched it on Friday morning with my breakfast. You can do things like that in lockdown!

I think these things are very personal, but it was not for me. Most other people's accounts of their camino are not for most people I think, but I believe most people find some which they can relate to. I thought just a little too much pain and sadness in this. But then I prefer walking alone and generally do not want to know what other people are 'going through' on their camino. (In other contexts I am interested in other people and their concerns.)

I am glad I watched it. £9.99 a bit steep, but certainly cheaper than in a Curzon cinema, (which are usually very comfy and deluxe).

There was one person in the group whom I would have found very difficult to spend time with, and this detracted from my enjoyment, but I don't think it is helpful to say which one. As I said, it is rather subjective.

 

[Holly West]

I've just seen this trailer for a new Camino film in an email from Curzon Cinemas.

Camino Skies film

Has anyone seen this?

Is it worth a tenner?

I saw it. It’s about a group of people who meet while walking the Camino for various reasons. The scenery is fun to see and a happy reminder of the beauty there but the documentary itself in my opinion was a bit whiny. If you have walked the Camino you will enjoy watching their pilgrimage but it does come across a little “whiny”.

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Aussies can watch it online by 'renting' it through Google Play for $3.99.
I'm yet to do so...but by the mixed reviews on this thread, it could be a better option!

 

[JohnLloyd]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

The idea of walking the Camino with "whiny" people does not appeal!

 

[Tim Greig]

*
I saw it on Curzon. It captured non of the magic of the Camino. Apart from distance markers there was nothing about location, cultural history or religion. Nothing about anything except suffering, buses and taxis. For a really good Camino film watch "Walking the Camino - 6 Ways to Santiago". But, hey, it's always worth watching a Camino film!

 

[Mahuri]

My wife and I were hungry with anticipation to see Camino Skies when we picked up a flyer in our alberge in Estella last October. As luck would have it, we met some Kiwi's on the trail that were at the original screening, so we ordered the CD on the strength of their enthusiasm. Perhaps our expectations were in the wrong place, but frankly we found it depressing and disappointing, and not something we would want to share. There are many Youtube videos available for free that share the highs and lows of the "journey", but hold back a little on the personal grief. Sorry if that offends, or hurts ticket sales, but buyers need to know this movie is not entertainment, and shows little of the Camino experience.

 

[Lucy Keenan]

I've just seen this trailer for a new Camino film in an email from Curzon Cinemas.

Camino Skies film

Has anyone seen this?

Is it worth a tenner?

I was looking at the curzon email yesterday. Guardian review wasnt great. Even said the photography and landscape filming not good which is what I wanted to ignite those old memories.

 

[johnds]

Kind of off topic.
When me and my wife walked the La Plata in 2015 an Italian film crew of about 10 people was there, too. Has anyone heard of or seen the outcome of their recordings?

 

[Eibhlís]

I did not enjoy it. Usually I watch movies/documentaries on the Camino over and over again but not this one. I didn't even finish it.

 

[Mary Doll]

I was very disappointed in this film. The people dealing with grief I could empathise with and had no problem with them talking about their loss. It was 2 of the other participants that I really didn’t have patience for.