8 inspiring films which talk about travelling, encounters and change

Hello! As I went to the cinema yesterday, I wanted to write an article on films today. But on films which talk about travel, adventure, and encounters... Well, films which will surely inspire you whether you're a travel lover or an Erasmus traveller. Happy reading!

Into The Wild

This film is based on a true story and on a book. After having got his university degree, the best student and athlete Christopher McCandless tries to discard his materialist world and enter the true world of nature: he gets rid of his belongings, changes his name, donates his savings account of $24,000 to a charity and hitchhikes across Alaska to live in the desert.

On the way, he meets a series of people who shape his life. All the people he meets have their own background stories.

Some people say that it's not a film about travelling. The fact is that it's far from most of the things which travelling is about: human interaction, culture, life experiences, etc., which makes us rather question the theme.

However, travelling is also like that for me. Being free to explore yourself and know what you want. Experiences, good or bad, make us who we are. And trips, in the long term, are packed with new experiences.

The film is also a poignant reminder that we could all make life a bit simpler and take advantage of it. It reminds us that holidays aren't about what we take with us, but what we take home.

This film is one of the most touching films I have seen up till now, because it awoke lots of questions inside. And the quote at the end clearly changed my life: "Happiness is only real when shared".

The Bucket List

The billionaire businessman Edward Cole and the working-class mechanic Carter Chambers don't have anything in common apart from their terminal illness. Just from sharing a hospital room together, they decided to leave and do everything they wanted to do before they die: they wrote their Bucket List. In the process, they both get better, become two unlikely friends, and finally find joy in life.

I recommend this film because I hope it will inspire you to dream, and more importantly to act. Making your own Bucket List has enormous benefits, it helps us to make our ideas and craziest dreams a reality. That's why I encourage you from now on to think about the things you'd like to do before you die. And to think about the different steps you need to take to carry them out.

The secret life of Walter Mitty

The secret life of Walter Mitty tells the story of Walter (played by Ben Stiller), a photo editor who is introvert, clumsy and anonymous in the magazine "Life", and leads quite a boring life. However, Walter has a big imagination. When the magazine want to use one of the photographs by mysterious photographer Sean for the latest issue, Walter realises that he's lost it and sets out in search of Sean. On the way, he comes out of his shell, becomes more confident and starts to make his dreams become a reality.

Travelling around the world from Iceland to Afghanistan in search of his heroes whilst taking risks and conquering new challenges on the way. A mixture of incredible landscapes, a beautiful soundtrack and a little humour is just the cherry on the top. The film is perfect for inspiring those who aspire to something more in life.

It's a story which most people can relate to! The breath-taking scenes, which are captured from all over the world, only adds good things to this incredible story.

As a little anecdote, I watched it while I was in Iceland, so it really made me want to visit Greenland!

Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation is based on two different travellers, Bob and Charlotte, visiting Tokyo at the same time.

Bob Harris is an American movie star, beyond the peak of his career. He visits Tokyo to appear in some adverts, and he meets Charlotte, the young wife of a photographer on a trip.

Bored and tired, Bob and Charlotte are ideal travel partners, if not unlikely.

Charlotte is looking for "her purpose in life" and Bob is putting up with his mediocre marriage in the United States.

Separately and together, they live the American dream in Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte both suffer from confusion, and hilarity because of the cultural and linguistic differences between them and the Japanese. As the relationship between Bob and Charlotte deepens, they realise that their trip to Japan will have to come to an end soon.

It's another amazingly shot film which also shows how travelling in a new country can be fun and interesting. The numerous little random experiences which we have on holiday are often the most memorable.

As well as being an incredible film, it also takes you to the heart of Tokyo. The pictures, the sound and the energy will suck you in and make you want to discover this country for yourselves.

Eat, Pray, Love

You may have heard people talking about the book before the film! I did, and I admit that I was so moved by the book, it really spoke out to me. However, a lot less by the film (although the film has its own charms).

Liz Gilbert had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having (a husband, a successful career) but like others, she felt lost, confused and in search of what she really wanted in life.

Recently divorced and at a crossroads, Liz Gilbert gets out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world which becomes a quest to discover herself.

During her journey, she discovers the true pleasure of food whilst eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India and finally, and unexpectedly, inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.

I loved being able to experience three totally different atmospheres at the same time!

Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain

If you're Parisian, this film may not really make you want to travel... And however, this classic makes me fall in love again and again with this city (especially Montmartre)!

Amélie is a shy waitress who works in a cafe in Montmartre. After having given back a childhood treasure which was lost a long time ago to an old tenant in her apartment, and seen the effect it had on him, she decides to set off on a mission to make others happy.

All whilst following an eccentric boy who collects photos from abandoned photo booths.

Well, I won't go any further, a true classic you must see (and not to mention the soundtrack)!

Slumdog Millionaire

In Mumbai, Jamal Malik, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums, is tortured by the police in a neighbourhood. He's accused of cheating on a television quiz show.

Jamal, who has never had any education, and works in a call centre serving tea, is about to win twenty million rupees on the programme "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" organised by Prem Kumar. He gives precise answers to the questions and raises suspicion of fraud.

The police inspector shows the video tape and after each question, Jamal tells a little story from his childhood with brother Salim, his crush on Latika, and their fight to survive in the streets to justify each correct answer, guided by his common sense and his past experiences, and to prove his innocence.

This film isn't exactly about travelling, but a good travel film involves culture and the understanding of other countries.

That's why I thought I would mention it, it's very enriching. It also offers a new way of seeing how people live in India!

Seven years in Tibet

Seven Years In Tibet tells the story of a mountain climber, Heinrich Harrer, who leaves on the conquest of hiking up the Himalayan mountains in 1939.

Selfish and alone, he doesn't get on well with the other members of the team, but he must obey their wishes.

After having been captured and send to a prisoner camp during the Second World War, he ends up getting out with another man and sneaking into the sacred city of Lhasa, a forbidden place for foreigners.

He becomes friends with the young Dalai Lama and is exposed to Buddhist teaching. At the same time, he builds a cinema, whilst learning about the end of the war, his divorce, and the refusal of his son to speak to him. But nothing prepares him for the devastation on the verge of falling when communist China decides to attack, killing more than one million Tibetans, destroying more than 6,000 monasteries, and betraying their own people.

The two men come from two completely different worlds, but they become great friends and learn about one another. The main character starts out as a selfish man, but slowly changes his vision of life when he's confronted by new experiences in a very foreign country. It's a good film which shows you how travel adventures can transform your life.

And that's it, I hope you liked this article!

I find it really interesting to see the ideas and themes which are revisited in all these films: finding yourself, discovering another enriching culture, achieving your dreams, welcoming the unexpected, and making unforgettable friends... Well, all that makes me want to travel!

Have a good day and see you soon!

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