5 exciting films about elite travelers

Admit it, you’ve often imagined yourself as Indiana Jones while traveling. Who wouldn’t want to unravel the secrets of ancient pyramids or see real miracles! But you must admit that all these adventures have little to do with reality. Yet most humans are “greenhouse” creatures who quickly become accustomed to convenience.

But this does not mean that it is impossible to go on a real adventure today. It is enough to remember the recent past. No, here we will not talk about expeditions in the spirit of Miklouho-Maclay, the explorers of the continents, or the sailors who rode the waves in the era of great geographical discoveries.

We invite you to watch inspiring films of dreamy travelers whose adventures are astounding. We are sure that these stories will revive the spirit of adventurism, similar to the stories that made me read Moby Dick, Treasure Island, The Children of Captain Grant and The Odyssey of Captain Blood in my childhood.

“Kon-Tiki”, dir. Espen Sandberg, Joakim Rönning (2012)

First on the list, of course, is the story of Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl. As a child, he was very afraid of water, and if someone had told him that he would cross the Pacific Ocean on a homemade raft, he would have thought this man was crazy. His love of natural science led Tour to believe that there was contact between Polynesia and South America. To prove this, he came to Peru with the same five intrepid travelers in 1947, where he built a balsa wood pae-pae raft based on local legends and archaeological finds. The ship was called “Kon-Tiki”. This event received wide publicity because at that time only modern ships sailed this route. Thor Heyerdahl was confident that the current would help his team overcome this path. They had to face storms, sharks and other obstacles. The main role in the film was played by Paul Sverre Hagen.

“Amundsen”, dir. Espen Sandberg (2019)

Another Norwegian explorer forever etched his name in history as the explorer of the South Pole. The film shows that the famous polar explorer is ready to do anything for his dream. As a child, he and his brother Leon were fascinated by unknown lands that remained “white dots” on the world map. It was Leon who financed expeditions and organized conflicts related to his famous brother’s novels. Rual’s attempts seem completely quixotic, but that makes them more interesting to watch. He changed the course of the campaign by deception and went after his rival Robert Scott. Who will win the championship race in Antarctica? But will fame really taste this sweet?

“The Lost City of Z”, dir. James Gray (2016)

Since the 16th century, legends about the golden city of Eldorado have, like a drug, turned the minds of European treasure seekers. This movie is about legendary British explorer Percy Harrison Fossett, who disappeared without a trace in the jungle while searching for the land of paradise. He was a brave man and an experienced traveler who participated in more than seven expeditions. In 1925, Percy Fossett, who firmly believes that the golden city of the Incas is the lost Atlantis, begins to search for Z’s main purpose with his son Jack and his friend Raleigh Rimel. This is what he calls the legendary city. After he and his crew crossed the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon, they were never seen again, giving rise to many legends, including those related to the hollow Earth theory. The image of the traveler on the screen was embodied by Charlie Hunnam. The film also stars Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland.

“Odyssey”, dir. Jerome Sall (2016)

A biographical film about the restless French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who is famous for not only inventing scuba diving equipment (along with Emile Gagnan) but also discovering the secrets of the deep sea. To get an idea about the water world, it is enough to remember the short educational films he created, especially about the underwater house. It is he who fondly reminds us of the Beatles and the yellow submarine. We recommend watching it to anyone who wants to learn more about the life of the Blue Continent explorer. The main role in the film was played by Lambert Wilson.

“Forest”, dir. Greg McLean (2017)

Perhaps this film of all listed will seem closest to you, and here’s why. This is the true story of a true adventurer who had no extraordinary scientific knowledge or survival skills. This makes it easier for us to imagine ourselves in his place. Daniel Radcliffe plays Yossi Ginsberg, a young explorer who goes to the Amazon with his friends to search for gold instead of going to college. The company barely managed to survive in the impenetrable Bolivian jungle. Who else would think of protecting themselves from a jaguar with matches and insecticide?