Tweet
SPONTANEOUS 'WALK OF CAUSES' EVOLVES TO WEB DOCUMENTARY
by India Stoughton
The Daily Star
February 17, 2012 Friday
Lebanon
They set out on a whim, without a tent, proper shoes or even a map.
BEIRUT: They set out on a whim, without a tent, proper shoes or even
a map. Norwegian friends Matias Carlsen and Jorgen Ekvoll spent 18
days traversing the length of Lebanon in spring 2010, eventually
walking for a different cause each day.
"We decided to do it on a Wednesday," says Ekvoll, "and the next
Monday we were out walking."
Carlsen and Ekvoll wanted to raise awareness of various charities
and social issues in Lebanon as a result of their walk.
"We thought: There are so many things to walk for, so let's walk
for a new cause every day and let the people on the Internet and the
people that we meet along the way help us decide what to walk for,"
says Carlsen.
They ended up walking for 14 different causes: for peace and health,
for the rights of domestic workers, for orphans, for refugees, for
homeless people, for the recognition of the Armenian genocide, for
worried mothers, nomads and press freedom, and against war, poverty,
discrimination and land mines.
Now their 18-day trek has been made into a web documentary, a series
of 14 five-minute episodes, the last of which was released last week
on their website www.woc-lebanon.com. Since releasing the episodes
online they have raised money for five charities through sponsorship,
and are hoping to find sponsors for the remaining causes.
During their trip the two Norwegians, who speak almost no Arabic, had
numerous adventures. They got lost in the fog on a mountain, had their
wallets stolen and returned, met a shepherd with an AK-47, ran out of
money and got arrested and held for questioning by the Lebanese Army.
In one memorable episode they meet a young man who presents them with a
chip packet full of tiny dead birds to take with them on their journey,
"for a snack."
The video does not show what became of the birds, and Carlsen and
Ekvoll aren't sure either. "I think our birds got confiscated by the
Lebanese Army actually," says Ekvoll. "They were laughing a lot ...
They thought it was very funny. But we never saw those birds again."
The best thing about their adventure, they say, was the hospitality
of the people they met along the way.
"Culturally they seem to be used to travelers like this, people that
cross distances by walking," says Ekvoll. "They have a tradition for
receiving them ... We met so many people who would invite us in and
give us these great experiences."
The series has been very well-received, in particular by Lebanese
viewers, who enjoy seeing their country from a new perspective. "That
was kind of our intention ... To be able to show Lebanon to the
Lebanese people seen from our eyes," says Ekvoll. "I think a lot of
Lebanese people are proud to see how we have been treated."
"And they should be," adds Carlsen.
The series is interesting and often very funny. In one episode Carlsen
wanders from the path, forgetting his fear of land mines when he
thinks he has found a seam of gold in a nearby rock. When he finally
gets hold of it only to find it is mould, not gold, he has a tantrum,
shouting: "This is bullshit man! I'm sure I saw some gold. Every time
I see gold it turns out not to be gold!"
Ekvoll calmly narrates for the audience, explaining matter-of-factly:
"Matias tends to get a little bit moody when he doesn't find gold."
The pair finished their trip in Tyre, after walking for three days in
the south of Lebanon without being able to film for security reasons.
"We wanted to film, but we couldn't," says Carlsen, explaining that
even without their camera equipment they were stopped every 10 minutes
and ended up being taken away by car for questioning, a terrifying
ride during which they thought they were being kidnapped.
Currently the two friends are considering another walk of causes, this
time venturing up the Nile from delta to source. The famous Norwegian
explorer, Mensen Ernst, attempted to run the same route 150 years ago,
they explain, but died en route. "We just want to ... finish his job,"
says Ekvoll. "I think this could be our next project."
They need to become famous first though, Carlsen says, so as to
raise more money in sponsorship. The pair hope to pioneer a new kind
of travel documentary. "Next time we're going to make it way more
interactive, doing live videos and bringing the audience in to make
decisions with us on the spot," says Ekvoll. "This is the next step
we want to take into travel-documentary making."
by India Stoughton
The Daily Star
February 17, 2012 Friday
Lebanon
They set out on a whim, without a tent, proper shoes or even a map.
BEIRUT: They set out on a whim, without a tent, proper shoes or even
a map. Norwegian friends Matias Carlsen and Jorgen Ekvoll spent 18
days traversing the length of Lebanon in spring 2010, eventually
walking for a different cause each day.
"We decided to do it on a Wednesday," says Ekvoll, "and the next
Monday we were out walking."
Carlsen and Ekvoll wanted to raise awareness of various charities
and social issues in Lebanon as a result of their walk.
"We thought: There are so many things to walk for, so let's walk
for a new cause every day and let the people on the Internet and the
people that we meet along the way help us decide what to walk for,"
says Carlsen.
They ended up walking for 14 different causes: for peace and health,
for the rights of domestic workers, for orphans, for refugees, for
homeless people, for the recognition of the Armenian genocide, for
worried mothers, nomads and press freedom, and against war, poverty,
discrimination and land mines.
Now their 18-day trek has been made into a web documentary, a series
of 14 five-minute episodes, the last of which was released last week
on their website www.woc-lebanon.com. Since releasing the episodes
online they have raised money for five charities through sponsorship,
and are hoping to find sponsors for the remaining causes.
During their trip the two Norwegians, who speak almost no Arabic, had
numerous adventures. They got lost in the fog on a mountain, had their
wallets stolen and returned, met a shepherd with an AK-47, ran out of
money and got arrested and held for questioning by the Lebanese Army.
In one memorable episode they meet a young man who presents them with a
chip packet full of tiny dead birds to take with them on their journey,
"for a snack."
The video does not show what became of the birds, and Carlsen and
Ekvoll aren't sure either. "I think our birds got confiscated by the
Lebanese Army actually," says Ekvoll. "They were laughing a lot ...
They thought it was very funny. But we never saw those birds again."
The best thing about their adventure, they say, was the hospitality
of the people they met along the way.
"Culturally they seem to be used to travelers like this, people that
cross distances by walking," says Ekvoll. "They have a tradition for
receiving them ... We met so many people who would invite us in and
give us these great experiences."
The series has been very well-received, in particular by Lebanese
viewers, who enjoy seeing their country from a new perspective. "That
was kind of our intention ... To be able to show Lebanon to the
Lebanese people seen from our eyes," says Ekvoll. "I think a lot of
Lebanese people are proud to see how we have been treated."
"And they should be," adds Carlsen.
The series is interesting and often very funny. In one episode Carlsen
wanders from the path, forgetting his fear of land mines when he
thinks he has found a seam of gold in a nearby rock. When he finally
gets hold of it only to find it is mould, not gold, he has a tantrum,
shouting: "This is bullshit man! I'm sure I saw some gold. Every time
I see gold it turns out not to be gold!"
Ekvoll calmly narrates for the audience, explaining matter-of-factly:
"Matias tends to get a little bit moody when he doesn't find gold."
The pair finished their trip in Tyre, after walking for three days in
the south of Lebanon without being able to film for security reasons.
"We wanted to film, but we couldn't," says Carlsen, explaining that
even without their camera equipment they were stopped every 10 minutes
and ended up being taken away by car for questioning, a terrifying
ride during which they thought they were being kidnapped.
Currently the two friends are considering another walk of causes, this
time venturing up the Nile from delta to source. The famous Norwegian
explorer, Mensen Ernst, attempted to run the same route 150 years ago,
they explain, but died en route. "We just want to ... finish his job,"
says Ekvoll. "I think this could be our next project."
They need to become famous first though, Carlsen says, so as to
raise more money in sponsorship. The pair hope to pioneer a new kind
of travel documentary. "Next time we're going to make it way more
interactive, doing live videos and bringing the audience in to make
decisions with us on the spot," says Ekvoll. "This is the next step
we want to take into travel-documentary making."