When you see them there, these five fearless globetrotters fighting their way through ever larger water holes and ever more rapid rivers in nowhere Siberia; if one trembles with them when the food is running low and at some point only flour is left as the last nourishment; So when you watch the five artists who want to travel overland from Halle to New York to the limits of what is possible, then you ask yourself: Is that still daring or already overconfident, fearlessness or naivety, a thirst for adventure or? Bravado?
Probably, after almost two hours of filming, it is a little bit of everything. But above all, what the five have experienced is a very big adventure. They started in Halle in September 2014. Two and a half years later, Anne Knödler, Efy Zeniou, Johannes Fötsch, Kaupo Holmberg and Elisabeth Oertel actually reached their destination.
43,000 kilometers – from Halle to New York by land
In between were three continents, more than 20 countries and 43,000 kilometers. They drank tea and vodka with hundreds of people. Together with the director Daniel von Rüdiger, they have now processed the small and large adventures that they experienced along the way in a documentary. The film “972 Breakdowns – On the Road to New York” has been available on DVD since Friday.
The “breakdowns” are nothing more than the English word for “breakdowns”. And they are a defining element of the film. Because the globetrotters set out on their journey east on the back of Ural motorbikes. And the tricycles with sidecars are, as should quickly become apparent, not necessarily suitable for long journeys. Breakdown follows breakdown. But giving up is not an option for the survivor.
In addition, the annoyance with the motorcycles is turning into a godsend. Because anyone who breaks down needs help. And those who ask for help get to know people. And that is worth gold on such a trip: “It may sound absurd, but it was only because of this seamless breakdown theater that we met the most diverse people around the globe, with whose help we made progress to the most remote corners of the world in the first place.” says Anne Knödler.
Film “972 Breakdowns – On the Road to New York” – A wild adventure
In the film, it is these remote corners in particular that make the eyes shine. The five rattle with enthusiastic courage over the endless sandy slopes of the Mongolian steppe, they learn what it means when there is no hospital nearby in the wilderness of Canada or when roads flood in northern Russia and bridges become a rarity.
When the navigable paths stop, they quickly convert their motorbikes into rafts and use them to swim 1,600 kilometers north on the Kolyma River – watched by bears lurking on the bank. Only the crossing of the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska was unsuccessful. “We then had to take the plane,” says Anne Knödler.
The journey is an odyssey of the now-time. And often enough New York seems at least as far away as Ithaca. “We were always looking for the point where we couldn’t go any further,” says the 35-year-old. They didn’t find him. The will of the adventurers to achieve their goal was always there – this is impressively demonstrated by the film.
The movie “972 Breakdowns” has already been seen by 30,000 people
“One of the most important findings of the trip,” says Anne Knödler, “is that you can manage even the greatest challenge if you just consider the steps and choose small enough.”
The film about the tour around half the globe premiered in theaters last September. The performances in Halle were completely sold out. “We then went on tour in Germany for eight weeks,” says Anne Knödler. It was the short time the pandemic allowed it. “30,000 people could already see the film, which was overwhelming for us.”
DVD of “972 Breakdowns – On the Road to New York” – 60 minute bonus
When the movie theaters had to close again, the world conquerors used the time to tinker with the DVD. “We cut together another 60 minutes from our hundreds of hours of material as a bonus,” says Anne Knödler. The result is something that can be described as the essence of the tour – and also its end.
DVD-Cover: 972 Breakdowns.
–
–
“The journey has been on our minds for seven years, and the DVD is already a kind of conclusion that makes you sad but also very proud – because it has become a well-rounded affair.” (Mz)
The DVD is available on the Internet at: www.leavinghomefunktion.com/shop
–
