New Camino documentary

[keilnirby]

Hey everyone, here's some links to a Camino documentary I made. I posted a link to a trailer a while back, but finally decided to post the entire film online. Hope you like it! (It's in five parts):

(Edit: those having a problem viewing the embedded video can try the links on the below --Neil

Part one: http://vimeo.com/26919395

Part two: http://vimeo.com/26922680

Part three: http://vimeo.com/26925157

Part four: http://vimeo.com/27088155

Part five: http://vimeo.com/27089354)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9rGzCNfChs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_W8O8Cj1-I[/youtube] (Part 2)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USGEpnSpudM&feature=related[/youtube] (Part 3)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7f4llSmDhw[/youtube] (Part 4)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLiMhOjAwUE[/youtube] (Part 5)

 

[markss]

Well done - brilliant Neil. Thanks for sharing this with all of us.

 

[keilnirby]

Thanks for the kind words! Appreciate it.

--Neil

 

[kiah]

thanks for sharing. Such a well done documentary of your personal journey. Bless u.

 

[daesdaemar]

Very interesting. I am enjoying watching it.

 

[Jimmy C.]

what an amazing piece of work. Well done Neil. It makes me chomp at the bit for my own Camino in september. Will show this to lots of friends to explain what the Camino entails.

 

[keilnirby]

Thanks!

 

[Zazee]

Neil,

Just finished watching your marvelous documentary. Agree with Jimmy C...amazing piece of work.

Will leave Sept 10th from SJPDP for my first Camino and planning to go to Finisterre. I am both scared [can I really do this?] and excited [can't wait to do this!]. Your documentary has helped to quell the fear and definitely ramped up being excited.

Thank you for sharing your journey.

-lee

 

[keilnirby]

Those of you in Germany having trouble viewing part one can do so here: http://vimeo.com/26919395

 

[susiew]

Thank you for your post with the easy download for the 1st part....please could you do this for the other four parts.....I just loved the first part....I felt as if I was re-living my camino as if it were yesterday...not Sept 2010.....thank you for taking the time to make your documentary.....Susie from South Africa

 

[keilnirby]

Susie, are you having problems viewing the other parts?

Here is part two: http://vimeo.com/26922680

And part three: http://vimeo.com/26925157

Will get parts 4 and 5 up on Saturday. Thanks for your interest!

Neil

 

[susiew]

Hi Neil,

Thank you so much for the other 2 parts....looking forward to saturday.

I am a camino addict.....so I search to settle the cravings....and you dokkie just adds fuel to the addiction....

Thank you

 

[fsam33]

Thank you for the documentary, it's fantastic.What a great series! Can hardly wait for the next parts. I just finished my camino on the 8/7/11 staring in SJPDP and have loved reliving it through the documentary.

You obviously did your Camino last year as it's still the old Roncesvalles hostel, AND I can't believe the numbers of Pilgrims in your documentary. This year it seemed uncrowded and the pilgrims were often sparse on the ground. Although I heard we came in waves and I may have been in a quiet patch - until Sarria which was a shock.

Looking forward to the next parts.
Thanks,
Frances

 

[OldDad]

You gotta love it! Thanks. Enjoyed very much.

 

[PadreQ]

Gracias por todos! Bravo!

 

[keilnirby]

The whole doc is up on vimeo now:

Part one: http://vimeo.com/26919395

Part two: http://vimeo.com/26922680

Part three: http://vimeo.com/26925157

Part four: http://vimeo.com/27088155

Part five: http://vimeo.com/27089354

Thanks for being patient and apologies to anyone who had trouble watching the youtube clips.

Neil

 

[CaroleH]

Beautiful Neil, beautiful photography and script. You have achieved a balance, appealing to first timers and multi camino pilgrims, extra good for people who have walked the Frances, but amazingly wonderful, relevant and enjoyable for the rest of us who have followed other caminos in Spain. Well done.

 

[catherinemccoy]

I just finished watching all parts. I was both mesmerized and anxious watching it, as I start walking my 1st camino from SJPP on Sept 5th. I am already a bit afraid about just how hard it will be (even though i know that I'm in pretty good shape) and seeing that 1st day of the pyrenees made my stomach do flip flops. I have not started to train with my backpack yet and now i wish i had started much sooner.

I think your film maybe gave me a bit more realistic outlook on some of the challenges I will face. Backpack training starts today! I need to keep telling myself, i can do it, i can do it! I will be blogging along the way and trying to stay in touch on the forum.

Thank you so much for this amazing documentary. I thought it really was well done and so many parts of it touched my heart.

 

[SabsP]

Thank you Neil!
Brings back nice memories.

EDIt : btw I recognised in video 4 the " speaking billboard " advertising Albergue Porto Santiago. When I walked past that thing it scared the hell out of me... :lol: :lol:

 

[andriykh]

Thank you for sharing your Camino documentary Neil.
Just finished watching. Enjoyed it very much.

 

[bystander]

Brilliant, balanced, realistic, inspirational, thank you.

 

[jacquivs]

That was wonderful! Well done ......... I really enjoyed seeing the 5 episodes and as a forthcoming pilgrim ( In April 2012) has given me a taste of the journey ahead ....and an increased determination to walk more, more and more in preparation........Many thanks !

 

[keilnirby]

Thanks for the nice words everyone. The camera adds ten pounds -- to my pack, so hearing that many of you enjoyed it makes it worth it.

Cheers,

Neil

 

[jpflavin1]

Neil:

Nice piece of work. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Una]

Thanks for the nice words everyone. The camera adds ten pounds -- to my pack, so hearing that many of you enjoyed it makes it worth it.

Cheers,

Neil

Well done, Neil. Your documentary is superb. It must have been very difficult to walk, carry the equipment, get such wonderful shots and produce a very honest and realistic commentary.
The documentary should give prospective pilgrims a very good idea of what is involved.
May the Irish creative spirit continue to flourish! Una

 

[peregrinacheena]

Nice doc! Thanks for posting it... bring back so many good memories.

I also remember the talking billboard, it startled me at first then I cracked up and couldn't stop laughing, I was so amused I walked back and forth several times....soy tonta

 

[PeterBarry]

Thanks Neil for a wonderful experience.
I am also conscious of your journey in making this important film.
I have a request!
I am a teacher in Ireland and I teach to second level (Post primary aged 12 to 17-18).
I would love to show them some of your film.
I often talk with them of my Camino journeys and they ask frequently about it.
Your film(s) would be a perfect way to illustrate the camino and generate debate and discussion among them.

So can I show it in school?

Peter

 

[lorax]

Thank you Neil... that was truly awesome. My Camino was very short and extremely stressful. This made me realize that probably everyone's is. I recently watched "The Way" and it's made me revisit all those old thoughts, I actually loved yours more because it was so much more realistic. Maybe I will once again come to Spain and do what I set out to do. Thank you.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Neil, I am not sure how I missed this posting before- but I have now watched the first section and loved it. I thought you must have been leaving SJPP on May 1st with all that crowd, until I saw how dry the vegetation was Alto del Perdon. I know when I left SJPP late in May, the crowds weren't anything like as bad as that. Anyhow, I am looking forward to looking at all the other sections of your film over the coming days.
Margaret

 

[keilnirby]

Peter--absolutely.

A higher quality version can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/26919395

Thanks!

 

[GunnarW]

Very nice! A very good point of view from the peregrino and some other peregrinos.
Some questions:
- Did you make the introduction (the map with the most important cities) yourself? Nice introduction.
- The German man with the donkeys: he tells us that in France he hasn't problems to find a place for his donkeys. Does (all) the French albergues have sleeping places for animals?
-In part 3: going León-Astorga by doing 50km! The images at 12'30": I can't recognize this. Where is it?
Thanks to clarify.

 

[keilnirby]

Gunnar,

The section you're referring to is, I think, about 5 or 6 km from Astorga, a few kilometers from the hill that overlooks the city. I've heard that some parts of the Camino can look wildly different than others depending on the season.

The opening map sequence and the other graphics in the film were created by Alan Dunne, a graphic designer for RTE in Ireland. He's interviewed in the film and speaks more candidly about the difficulties of the journey.

I'm not sure exactly what problems the couple encountered with their donkeys in France--that would be an interesting post since they weren't the only people I saw with a donkey. If anyone can shed some light on this I'd be interested to know.

Thanks for watching!

 

[Soliwo]

I only watched bits and pieces because I do not want to see to much in advance. But it's a great job!

 

[keilnirby]

Has anyone by any chance encountered David (at the lemonade stand) along the Camino, in the stretch before Astorga? I'm curious if he is still there.

 

[Heliman1965]

Excellent... Thank you for all your hard work

This is a great reflection for me as to why I'm embracing this wonderful personal challenge, by taking the dream of walking The Camino and making it a reality in May 2012.... :arrow: :arrow:

Bryan

 

[Telluridewalker]

He wrote:

"Thanks for creating and posting this wonderful documentary- it rekindled a number of memories for me. I especially appreciate the balance you struck between the oft-told pilgrim stories of yore (the nasty Navarrans at the bridge over the Rio Salado, e.g.) and the new ones being created in the present (the rose and note left at the locked church entrance sticks with me).

Having walked the Camino over 20 years ago and in answer to the question posed at the end of the piece, I feel like the courage developed while walking DOES stay with you, but works such as your documentary give us alumni a fresh reminder of why these feelings remain so steadfast."

 

[Arn]

Each time I watch this...I realize the Camino is different for everyone, then again, it's exactly the same!

Thanks

Arn

 

[BlackDog]

Heartfelt thanks for a wonderful piece of work that inspires me even more to undertake the Camino in Sep 2012.

David

 

[Nandy61]

Has anyone by any chance encountered David (at the lemonade stand) along the Camino, in the stretch before Astorga? I'm curious if he is still there.

He was there in the summer of 2010. I tried to upload a photo of him, but I'm still useless at it (on this site)

 

[keilnirby]

I want to thank all of you for watching the movie and taking time to comment on it. It means a lot to me as making it did come with sacrifice (quitting my job comes to mind). Seeing that some people enjoyed the film despite its faults reaffirms my belief that it was all worth it.

Cheers,

Neil

 

[Nandy61]

Here's David!

July of 2010:

 

[camino-david]

David was there in Sept 2010 and last year in Oct

 

[keilnirby]

David was there in Sept 2010 and last year in Oct

Glad to see his face again! This kind man helped me in a way I can't even describe.

 

[Nandy61]

sorry about the size of the photo- it was the best I could do. :?

 

[almhath]

Brillient. Thank you.

Almha

 

[neilesperanto]

Thanks Neil.
Well this has certainly brightened up a dull morning here in North Wales. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this and once I started I put the rest of my day on hold till I had watched all 5 films. Thank you for sharing this.
Buen Camino,
Neil

 

[caminka]

great job, neil! it was almost like walking the camino again. I was even there about the same time you were!

I too met the goat before samos. she was quite naughty and didn't want to look in my camera. every time I wanted to take a picture, she looked away, and when I put the camera down she looked at me. in the end I got a picture where her head is turned away but she is looking at me.

I'm not sure exactly what problems the couple encountered with their donkeys in France--that would be an interesting post since they weren't the only people I saw with a donkey. If anyone can shed some light on this I'd be interested to know.

I met them at the refugio of italian confraternity at the chapel of san nicolas before crossing rio pisuerga. they told me that in germany and france you can stay with horses or donkeys at many farms where they have their own livestock. 'donkey-tourism' is quote popular there (I met a family in france walking from farm to farm, with prior arrangement). but in spain sometimes locals prevented their donkeys to drink from the village fountain or take shelter in a shade of a house or a tree; it got even so far that they were chased away with stones. I was very surprised at these reactions and often wondered what could be their cause.

 

[sixlinksrule]

Hi Neil and all,

Yes an amazing documentary of your Camino Neil. I wish I had seen this before I did my Camino in the summer of 2011. I too thoroughly enjoyed your documentary. Well done. It brought back lots and lots of good and some not so good, memories. I started in St Etienne Chateaucreu in the south of France, a 3 day walk east of Le Puy-en-Velay and some 760km across the beautiful countryside of Southern France to St Jean Pied-de-Port. Like you after Santiago I walked to Finisterre but went via the beautiful seaside village of Muxia. Many go to Finisterre and then on to Muxia but I wanted to end my Camino at Finisterre, the 0.00km marker and the lighthouse. I too enjoyed your documentary more so than the movie "The Way". Very professionally and tastefully done Neil, and as so many have commented, you gave a very balanced view.

Once again, well done Neil.