10th edition CIFF – 10-14 April 2024

Camino, a Feature-length Selfie (2019 Feature Film)

Martin de Vries | The Netherlands | 2019 | doc | color | DCP | 85′ | Dutch | e.s.

Aching feet and moments of despair – but also minor miracles and growing strength. Doggedly stepping along the pilgrims’ way to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain, Martin de Vries films himself with his iPhone, in the hope of putting his life back on a firm footing. A self-portrait in two million steps.

“Everything in me said I had to do it.” Martin de Vries decides, without any preparation worth mentioning, to walk the Camino, the famous pilgrims’ way to Santiago de Compostela. From Le Puy-en-Velay in central France to north-west Spain; a journey of 1,600 kilometers, taking almost 70 days. He films himself while walking – his feet, his shadow, the path, the fields, and woods – and tries to get to the bottom of why he set out on this adventure.

Only occasionally do we see other walkers and the places where he spends the night. As he turns the camera on himself while walking, De Vries soberly wonders aloud about the trials and euphoric moments; about the beautiful morning light and the sound of the birds; about doubts and growing unease. He learns to be ‘in the moment’ and as he walks examines his motivations and inner demons with ever greater candor. An unpolished travelogue in the addictive rhythm of the trip that makes the experience palpable. A self-portrait in two million steps.

Place: The Cinemas 3

Date: 11 April 2019

Time: 13:30

Duration: 1:05

Place: The Cinemas 3

Date: 12 April 2019

Time: 21:30

Duration: 1:08

Year in
Festival

2019

Director

Martin de Vries

Camera

Martin de Vries

Country

The Netherlands

Editor

Ulrike Mischke

Language

Dutch

Length

85′

Music

Hans Visser

Producer

Janneke Doolaard

Production Company

DOXY Films

Sales

DOXY Films

Sound Design

Jaim Sahuleka

Year of Production

2019

Martin de VRIES (1956, Nederland) is regisseur, editor, programmamaker, producent en ondernemer. Hij studeerde productdesign aan de Design Academy in Eindhoven. Vanaf 1985 was hij de vaste editor van het bekende Nederlandse televisieprogramma Van Kooten en De Bie. Tussen 1998 en 2014 was hij onder andere verantwoordelijk voor de montage en vormgeving van ruim 700 afleveringen voor de VPRO-serie Dode Dichters Almanak. In 2006 lanceerde hij NostalgieNet, een digitaal televisiekanaal voor een 50-pluspubliek. Met filmjournalist en regisseur Cees van Ede maakte De Vries diverse filmportretten over bekende Nederlandse acteurs en regisseurs. Camino, een feature-length selfie (2019) is zijn regiedebuut. 

 

Filmography

Camino, een feature-length selfie/Camino, a Feature-length Selfie (2019, doc)