Tag: travel

Travel :: BiPoland

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A note from the filmmaker: Please wear headphones for the best sound experience.

Matty Brown

Traveling is just as much about learning about a new place as about learning about yourself.  Just watching the first few minutes of this film is enough to learn not only about a very dark period in our history, but how we react to the images of a place that tormented thousands of Jewish people in the early 1940s.

This film, BiPoland begins as a reminder of the Holocaust and surpasses the history lesson to go on to demonstrate the strength of the Polish people and their ability to move on even with such a dark history that remains solid and real within their borders.

Beyond the emotion that this video brings to me, I really, really love the editing.  I know I usually discuss the camera work and the light, which is something that I really do admire, but editing is actually more my forte.  Bringing images, music and graphics together to tell a story and to move the viewer through the video is what I really love to do.  I’m one of those dorky people that gets a rush when I finally get a sequence right and the music and the footage sync perfectly to get the desired effect.  That is what this film does for me.  It’s a perfect blend of beautiful cinematography, vintage recordings and powerful music.

Travel :: Vive la Mexico!

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Andrew Julian

Mexico is one of my favorite places in the world- I’ve been going there since I was six and I’ve lost count of how many weeks of my life have been spent there.  So although this isn’t an area that I usually go to, I couldn’t help but share this video because it highlights some of the things that I love about the place: color, history, food, SUN, the people and I can’t help but love the warm waters on the coast.

Travel :: Ice Hotel

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I was twelve when I heard about the ice hotel.  My dad saw it in a travel magazine and I’ve wanted to stay in one since.  Most people that know me well would find this very ironic as I’m always cold, but there is something spectacular about staying in something that seems so strong and permanent, yet very fragile and dependent on frigid temperatures.  I would only want to stay a few days if that, but the experience itself is a once in a lifetime thing.  For now I will have to settle with the experience of having a drink in the Ice Bar in London.

HENNING SANDSTRÖM

I realize that this video is more about the river than the ice hotel itself, but if we are to appreciate the hotel and all the work that goes into its design and construction each year, we need to appreciate where it all comes from in the first place.

Travel :: Corsica

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David Babendryer

Filmed on the island or Corsica, I love how this film makes me unwind.  The slow and relaxed feel makes this film almost sensual.  The close ups and the wide landscape shots really makes me feel like I’m there experiencing all of the little nuances that you notice when you’re in a new place and trying to take it all in.  Plus, I like how the story is told through the woman and the dog’s wonderings of the island, but there is no need for anyone to speak.  It is just the viewer taking it all in just as the person behind the camera did.

Travel :: Rio de Janeiro

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by MOOV

Rio remains a mystery to me.  At least the inner depths of its culture.  I was there a few years ago for two days.  Yes, I know two days in one of the world’s most fascinating cities is not enough time and I realize that now that I’ve been there and saw basically nothing- not for lack of trying though.  In my defense, it was cloudy and wet the 48 hours I was there and to top it all off, the Christ Statue was covered in scaffolding.  I was told it was pointless in going up to see the view as all I would see was a thick fog.  Try as I might, I couldn’t see anything that I wanted to check off my “to see” list. I’m still trying to get back there to see what I missed.

Rio de Janeiro

See, lots of clouds

Despite the clouds and the damp I did get to experience a few things there like the Favela, also known the shanty town, and a few impromptu soccer games on the beach.  And through these small experiences I got a sense of the drastic opposites that make Rio culture what it is.

  • The laid back attitude mixed with intense energy and athleticism. Everyone in Brazil seems to be incredibly fit and I couldn’t find one unattractive person my whole time in the country (which amounted to about two weeks).  Brazilian people are just plain gorgeous.
  • It is also a place that never seems to sleep yet it seems almost tranquil at times.  There is always something going on, yet at the same time it just feels like any other city with its ebbs and flows.
  • The extremely wealthy and the extremely poor.  I spent a few hours in the Favela and witnessed how many of Rio’s inhabitance survives from day to day.  From the highest point, I looked down at the the housing for the wealthy and down at their expensive shopping and personal boats.  The contrast was staggering.

What I like most about this video is the color and the movement.  It really encapsulates everything that I had experienced and what I had had assumed about the place- not that any of my assumptions were proven correct after visiting.  It’s a place that still kind of scares me for its energy and the unknown that I have yet to discover.  Someday, I will return to experience it all again.

If I could be anywhere, I would be…

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If I could be anywhere right now, I think I would choose to be here

or here

or here

or here

But instead I’m at home.  I can’t really complain because I really do like where I live, but sometimes you just want to get away and explore a new culture and place.  More to the point I’m looking for sun.  I never really got summer last year and the PNW isn’t known for it’s warm or sunny winters, so I haven’t really seen the sun in a while- except the amazing weather we had a few weeks ago.  I am more than ready to soak up some rays and feel warm again.

In the past I’ve traveled several times a year so being in one place for more than a few months is driving me nuts.  I just need to buck up and enjoy where I am for the moment- it’s something I’m working on but it isn’t easy when you’re used to being constantly on the move.

So to help with my “itchy feet” syndrome, I’ve been enjoying various travel videos, all of which I want to share with you.  Some are of places that I have been to and loved, and some are of places that I hope to someday visit.

Off to pack my virtual backpack.

Runnoff :: Foz de Iguacu

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Foz-de-Iguacu

Foz de Iguacu, Argentina

These falls straddle the boarder between Brazil and Argentina and attract thousands of visitors each year.  The mist makes every thing hazy and of course soaks anyone standing  on the observations decks scattered around the park.  I took this picture from the Argentine side and I looked like I had gone for a swim in the falls by the time I made it back to the park entrance.  I would definitely advise wearing a swimsuit when you visit and keep a spare set of clothes in a waterproof bag.

Having said that, these falls should be on everyone’s list of places to visit.  They are beautiful and a cool reprieve from the hot and humid South American temperatures.