A delightful story of personal exploration

Rating: 10/10 (2 September 2017)

This movie took me on a personal journey. The central character's disillusionment with privileged western society is beautifully captured in his fervor for new horizons. The reluctance he initially experiences as he is presented with his quest and until he finds his passion echoes a real journey through life.
The mystery of his ending finishes the story with bitter-sweetness. This is matched only by the shocking realisation that the story is based on truth. I loved this Iliad of love for the planet, it's people, and for ourselves as reflections of the universe. It is a clear untainted lens in the directors camera that also captures the behaviors and attitudes of ignorance and wanton selfishness.
I like that it made no attempt to comment or intellectualise on societal and cultural differences between the advanced and 'primitive' peoples and nations of the world, reversing perceptions and championing the pioneering spirit of adventure and exploration as the real reward that grows within those who accept their hero's journey.
I thought that the central character was played well as a quietly spoken but passionate gentleman of self-awareness, integrity and single-minded stubbornness as he is unwavering in facing the mediocre distraction of the mob.
In his attempts to tenuously balance his love for his family, he perhaps fails as the mere human that he is. That fluctuating and flawed tension between his fervent passion and deep compassion gave the story an eternal energy, and is, I believe a universal experience of the pioneering spirit.
Refreshingly low-budget, with lesser-known actors and without the pomposity of block-buster inanity, this is a small personal story that says much about the human heart and spirit. It is a great show and a must for those who thirst for adventure and new horizons.