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TEACH WITH FILM

Free lesson plans, global education series, journeys in film educating for global understanding.

Journeys in Film is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that educates the next generation to be globally competent and socially active by amplifying the storytelling power of film for teaching and learning.  

We transform entertainment media into educational media by designing and publishing cost-free, educational resources for teachers to accompany carefully chosen feature films and documentaries while meeting mandated standards in all core subjects. Selected films are used as springboards for lesson plans in subjects ranging from math, science, language arts, and social studies to specific topics that have become critical for students to learn.

Journeys in Film’s programs engage students in meaningful examinations of human rights, poverty and hunger, stereotyping and racism, environmental issues, global health, immigration, and gender roles .  Our teaching methods are successful in broadening perspectives, teaching for global competency, encouraging empathy, and building new paradigms for best practices in education.  

We also develop discussion guides for films that don’t necessarily lend themselves to academic standards, but cover topics and themes that are valuable for classroom discussions and in other settings, such as after school clubs, community screenings and University classes.

Ready to start teaching with film? Visit our free teaching resource library now.

WE MUST RAISE THIS NEXT GENERATION TO BE MORE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, EMPATHETIC AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD IN WHICH THEY LIVE

Vision and goals, we transform entertainment media into educational lesson plans, we use visual storytelling as a tool for engaging students in critical global issues while building academic skills in core subjects, methodology, testimonials, steven spielberg, professor henry louis gates, liam neeson, our latest guides.

A Glossary of Film Terms

A Resource for Everyone: Facilitation Guidelines

Facilitation Guidelines for fostering discussions

A Simple Start: Teaching With Film

Simple tips for getting start as you bring films into the classroom.

A+ Black History Lessons

These Black History Lessons and related resources work well for Black History Month or any time of year. Lessons for teaching Reconstruction, Civil Rights, Global Black History and More.

A+ Celebration of Nature: For Grades 3-7

These Nature Lessons for Grades 3-7 highlight the beauty and wonder of nature and will inspire student learning about the environment.

A+ Environmental Studies Lessons: A Very Beautiful World

These free Environmental Studies Lessons and related resources work well for Earth Day, Earth Month and any time of year.

Beat the Drum

A South African boy embarks on a quest from his village to find his uncle in Johannesburg.

Holocaust survivor Sonia Warshawski shares her story of unimaginable suffering, but also of hope, of resilience, and of a refusal to hate with students and incarcerated individuals.

Bridge Of Spies

Bridge of Spies follows Jim Donovan in an exploration of the constitutional rights, the Cold War, the U-2 incident, and the Berlin Wall.

The story of composer Joseph Bologne, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rises to improbable heights in the court of Marie Antoinette.

Children Of Heaven

A loving family portrait, Ali and his sister Zahra set out on a quest for shoes in Tehran.

Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops

The 5 short films of Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops that use stunning video, interviews with leading climate scientists, and thoughtful narration by Richard Gere, are perfect for the classroom and available for free when you click Buy DVD.

Crip Camp shows the experiences of a group of disabled young people as they journey through activism and adulthood.

Defiant Requiem

Explores the life and musical impact of conductor Rafael Schächter at Theresienstadt (Terezin) concentration camp in 1941.

Dying to Tell the Story

Explore the power of journalism with the story of photographer Dan Eldon.

Finding Pride

Explore empowering stories of finding pride in your gender identity and sexual orientation with the narrative heros of It Gets Better Project.

The film Francesco, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky, gives the viewer an introduction to the life of this extraordinary man. Because of their friendship, Afineevsky was able to film very personal moments that give us insight into this Pope whose humility and sense of humor contrast with the formality of Vatican traditions. The film reflects Pope Francis’s concerns about economic justice, the environment, refugees and migrants, and more.

From The Ashes

Learn more about the impact of coal mining on our health, economy, and climate with From the Ashes.

Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down

Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down tells the extraordinary story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords: her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt in 2011, and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle against gun violence.

Gender Revolution

Gender Revolution educates and advocates for inclusive gender expression conversations and policies.

Genius follows Albert Einstein beyond his academic life to see him as a father, theorist, professor, and friend.

Greener Pastures is now available!

Greener Pastures provides an intimate window into the lives of four multigenerational farming families as they navigate the stressors connected with farming today and rural life.

Happy seeks out the keys to happiness through remarkable stories from Namibia, Brazil, Bhutan, Kolkata, Louisiana, and more.

He Named Me Malala

Global inspiration Malala Yousafzai shares her journey and triumphs for equitable education across the globe.

Hidden Figures

Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were three Black women known as “human computers,” at NASA and worked to support John Glenn's space launch.

JANE reveals the inspiring commitment of Dr. Jane Goodall & her colleagues to the studies of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. She and her colleagues began more than one revolution in the biological sciences.

Just Mercy is a feature film adapted from the bestselling book by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. It is based on a true story that confronts Americans with our history of racial injustice.

Know How, written and acted by youth in foster care, highlights their experiences with story and song.

Following the uprising against police brutality after Rodney King’s assault, LA92 presents events that transformed Los Angeles.

Landfill Harmonic

Landfill Harmonic follows the Paraguayan Recycled Orchestra of Cateura in their quest to provide hope for their town.

Like Stars On Earth

Ishaa lives in an imaginative world of wonders. He connects with a new art teacher in boarding school who shares his joy and enthusiasm.

Mars is an episodic series following a new expedition on the Red Planet and the team looking for traces of water and life.

National Geographic’s The Race Issue: America Inside Out

America Inside Out and National Geographic's The Race Issue invite us to build a better future by addressing our own implicit biases.

Enthralling and intimate, director Daniel Roher’s NAVALNY unfolds with the pace of a thriller as it follows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

One Strange Rock

One Strange Rock tells the story of Earth’s history from a planetary perspective by exploring the atmosphere and its ability to heal.

Out Of The Dark

A London family relocates to a small town in Colombia and soon find themselves haunted by an ancient legend.

Please Vote For Me

A third-grade class and their parents in Wuhan, China learn about democracy by staging an election for class monitor.

Queen of Katwe

Phiona Mutesi emerged from the largest slum in Kampala, Uganda to travel to international chess competitions and then the world stage.

Rebel Hearts

In 1960s Los Angeles, The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary bravely stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church. From marching in Selma in 1965 to the Women’s March in 2018, they challenged the notion of what a nun and a woman were supposed to be.

River of Gold

River of Gold follows two war journalists and their guide into Peru’s Amazon rainforest to uncover the savage destruction of the jungle in pursuit of illegally mined gold.

A Southern Indiana man endures a fatal night of torture after being arrested at a traffic stop.

Schindler’s List

Oskar Schindler Schindler risked everything to protect and rescue more than 1,100 Jewish people sheltered in his factory during the Holocaust.

Summer of Soul

Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson), Summer of Soul is a powerful, transporting documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 featuring performances by Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

Young William Kamkwamba supports his family and eventually for his village by building a wind turbine to bring water during a famine.

A Tibetan refugee living at a monastery in exile in India becomes a soccer enthusiast determined to see the finals of the World Cup.

The Dhamma Brothers

The Dhamma Brothers documents stories of incarcerated men at Donaldson Correctional Facility as they practice Vipassana meditation.

The Invisible Shield Guide Now Available!

The series unpacks just the tip of the iceberg, both historically and to this day, of the importance the role of public health has played in protecting society from the inevitable impact of a constantly increasing population.

The Love Bugs

The Emmy-winning documentary film, The Love Bugs, provides an exceptional opportunity for you and your students to become amateur entomologists and discover the wonder of small creatures, just like Lois and Charlie did. It also provides a process for understanding the nature of love through your students’ eyes and through those of a couple who have worked and lived together for 60 years.

The Music of Strangers

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble follows the rotating artists as they gather and connect across cultures.

The Neighborhood Storyteller is Now Available

The Post reveals partnership between The Washington Post's Katharine Graham, the first woman to lead a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee, as they risk their careers - and their very freedom - to bring truths to light.

The Prophet

Inspired by Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, an artist under house arrest forms an unlikely friendship while on a quest to share stories of wisdom and freedom.

The Story of God

Morgan Freeman traveled almost 100,000 miles to explore similarities among different faiths.

The Story of Us

The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman explores big questions and reveals the common humanity that lies inside us.

The Way Home

Sang-woo doesn't want to leave Seoul to live with his mute grandmother but soon her love transforms their relationship.

UNZIPPED: An Autopsy of American Inequality

UNZIPPED: An Autopsy of American Inequality is a searing exposé of the growing affordable housing crisis in America.

Wadjda dreams of the freedom and fun of a bicycle, permitted only for boys in Saudi Arabia and will brave a new endeavor to find it.

Walden, A Game

Walden, A Game allows players to explore the life of American philosopher Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond in 1845

Whale Rider

A Māori girl challenges generations of cultural tradition to fulfill her destiny. Get our free teaching guide for this powerful film.

Youth v Gov

YOUTH v GOV follows 21 young Americans suing the world’s most powerful government to protect their constitutional rights to a stable climate. If they win, they will change the future.

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

15 Great Cinematic Journeys

December 8, 2021 by Tom Jolliffe

Tom Jolliffe offers up 15 great cinematic journeys… 

When it comes to cinema, the very best films will grab the audience and keep us gripped throughout the runtime. Every character goes on a particular journey that can be literal and/or metaphorical. Those literal epic journeys which might see hobbits on a quest to take a ring to a volcano make for particularly enthralling stories.

It usually goes, that a protagonist (or several) steps out of their comfort zone, into lands foreign to them, and usually hostile (because we need some conflict). That journey outward becomes a simultaneous journey inward, as they must find a kind of strength or clarity from within. Cinema has certainly been filled with many great examples of arduous, life affirming journeys. Here are a few:

Conan The Barbarian

Long arduous journey you say? Well how about nigh on twenty years, much of which is spent bound in slavery, before being untethered to roam across dangerous lands? Why? Well Conan asks only one thing from Crom, “Grant me this one request…Grant me revenge…and if you do nahht listen den to hell wid you!!” So it’s a determined, focused trek from adolescence to being a young barbarian behemoth, in search of Thulsa Doom, who murdered Conan’s parents. An unshakable focus on vengeance.

John Milius’ sorely underrated and grandiose operatic fantasy is quite unlike the very many sword and sorceries that rode on its loincloth-tails in the 80’s. This is a bonafide masterwork allowing its imperious musical score to tell the story in a film sparse on dialogue. It looks glorious, the weight of Conan’s quest and journey which transcends beyond the mortal realm, and sees him fall in love in the process too, is truly epic. It’s just head and shoulders above everything else in its sub-genre and Arnold is perfectly cast. The movie is stolen however by Sandahl Bergman who is stunning, whilst James Earl Jones is a great villain.

Andrei Tarkovsky’s sci-fi masterpiece is laden with pondering philosophy and reflection. An amalgamation of some of the characters also seem to deeply reflect his own personality (the ‘Writer’ in particular). Not for the first or last time in his career, Tarkovsky crafts an introspective journey, layered beneath a ‘quest.’ His very distinct approach to visual storytelling and wilfully slow pacing also makes you feel the passing seconds. Once you’re engrossed and ‘present’ in the story, you are then essentially involved in the journey, quite unlike anything else cinema can offer.

As the Stalker, Writer and Professor journey to ‘the zone’ they encounter undefined dangers which may or may not be real. Tarkovsky’s earthy frames are filled with natural detail, rich in texture and another aspect that makes you feel the journey. Ultimately whilst the three protagonists meander to a place where their deepest desires could come true, it’s that parallel inward journey that is even more interesting. Additionally the making of the film was a notoriously arduous quest. Trial by fire almost, having to be almost entirely reshot (after most of the initial footage was lost) and at a location so seeped in radioactivity, that it ultimately shortened the lifespan of many of the crew (who would later die of cancer in many cases).

The Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. For a three year span, The Lord of the Rings became a must see Christmas event. In truth there’s been nothing during the season since which has had quite the same pull. Such was the epic scope of this story and the buzz, that it had audiences hooked in from the start, and made it essential to come back.

Frodo and friends journeying across middle Earth across 9 hours of cinema, never felt overlong from a viewing perspective, but certainly we felt the danger throughout. Jackson seemed to reinvigorate the blockbuster around this time, and his great blending of superb sets and practical work, with grandiose CGI was well balanced (whereas his Hobbit trilogy was a bit CGI heavy). Additionally he legitimised blockbuster cinema with well rounded characters (benefiting from the beefy run times). The films did particularly well at Oscar season considering the genre ( Return of the King , the final instalment won Best Picture). Impeccable, engrossing filmmaking and it holds up brilliantly.

Paris, Texas

Wim Wenders with his quirky cinematic sensibilities was no stranger to road movies, making a number of great films in Europe. Paris, Texas would be the film which introduced him significantly to US audiences, and allowed him to cast his unique eye on a very distinct part of America. That alien eye gives a very classic American road movie a very interesting perspective, and that is further exemplified by Robby Muller’s stunning cinematography.

Southern states America becomes almost otherworldly and ethereal. It becomes occasionally a metaphorical landscape reflecting the inner turmoil and listlessness of our central character Travis (played by a never better, Harry Dean Stanton). He wonders out of the dessert, having been missing for years, presumed dead, with foggy memories of his previous life. He has a son he must reconnect with, and his brother, but the thought of his ex burns in his mind the more he returns to compos mentis. Then he journeys with his son to find her. It’s a long, reflective and slow burning movie but beautifully engaging with a subdued and laconic guitar score from Ry Cooder. It’s also beautifully written by Sam Shepard.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

We’re in November now. Tis the season, the season for Planes, Trains and Automobiles . This is all about the journey, as uptight, successful businessmen Steve Martin is greeted with a non stop barrage of comical obstacles in his quest to get home for Thanksgiving. Many of the moments in this comedy of errors revolve around the travel companion he can’t quite shake, played wonderfully by John Candy.

There’s not much to say about how good this film is. It’s just one of the most endlessly repeatable, beautifully crafted comedies ever made. Martin and Candy are both on top form in what might be John Hughes’ masterwork. Achingly funny but also heartfelt and touching in the right places, perfectly encapsulating just how effortlessly affable Candy was as a performer. I watch it every year, and genuinely look forward to the now traditional seasonal viewing.

Saving Private Ryan

The war film had been in something of a rut across the 80’s and 90’s. There’d been a few standouts, not least Spielberg’s harrowing masterpiece, Schindler’s List . Saving Private Ryan seemed to kickstart a new wave, and nothing after quite matched up (besides The Thin Red Lin e which was so distinctly Malick).

Tom Hanks leads a small unit tasked with heading across war torn France, to find a Paratrooper called Private Ryan, whose brothers have been killed in action. It’s an astonishing cast absolutely loaded top to bottom with stars who flit in and out and give great performances. Hanks is sensational. Spielberg pulls no punches and his Omaha landing sequence is a technical, gut wrenching marvel. The film has become the benchmark by which all other war movies have since been compared. The journey through hostile territories is terse, chilling and nail-biting.

Blending elements of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland , Labyrinth tells the tale of young Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) who must journey through a wondrous but hazardous Goblin Kingdom to rescue her baby brother. An array of creatures are brought to life by Jim Henson in a world wonderfully crafted (entirely by sets).

Labyrinth can be seen very much on the surface as a family friendly musical fantasy, but also deeper as a darker tale of paranoid schizophrenia, as a young girl creates an internal delusion based on the literary, movie and musical stories she obsesses over, as well her toy characters (friends), her absent maternal mother and step-father (who is pictured in Sarah’s room, with Bowie in said frame). Sarah becomes her mother, the step-father becomes the Goblin King, as she also takes on the role of Dorothy/Alice too. Labyrinth is seriously complex and they really (really) don’t make kids films like this anymore. Still, you can also enjoy the light hearted surface material, bolstered by Python-esque humour and great Bowie tracks.

Terrence Malick’s poetic coming of age odyssey of misspent youth is a philosophical Bonnie and Clyde. Young tearaway Kit (Martin Sheen) is enamoured by a high schooler (Sissy Spacek). She’s a miner from a broken home. She becomes infatuated by Kit and they leave together, descending into murder and crime after killing Holly’s father.

On the run from the law, this listless and aimless cross country journey to the Montana badlands, sees time slow as they both embrace the wandering aimlessness at first. Kit is simple, lacking in intelligence, only able to react in ways that are dangerous, but Holly is hopelessly dependant on him until it’s too late. Stunningly shot with a beautiful score (which Tarantino, Tony Scott and Hans Zimmer riffed in True Romance ), the film is gorgeous. Sheen is great, pure charisma with underlying intensity. Spacek is luminous.

A literal journey across rugged South American terrain, transporting highly volatile explosives, becomes a very metaphorical journey into hell. Roy Scheider (who is incredible) leads a small unit of nefarious individuals who have all ended up hiding out in the same God-Forsaken place for one reason or another.

This remake of Wages of Fear is one of a few which match or surpass the original. For me the pulsating and slightly more lithe Sorcerer does surpass (narrowly) Wages, but both are exceptional. Sorcerer in fact is oft talked about as one of American cinemas most underrated films. William Friedkin’s big budget and nihilistic masterpiece wasn’t appreciated on its initial release and entirely blown out of the box office waters by a little film called Star Wars , which changed the shape of cinema. Brutally bleak, darkly pessimistic, Sorcerer was everything that American cinema had become from 68-77 in particular, but soon to be replaced by optimism and escapism across the galaxies. It’s Friedkin’s best film (no small praise there), which feels dank, incessantly sweaty and grim, but is also a juggernaut of tension thanks to the concept and Tangerine Dream’s pulsating score. The rope bridge crossing scene, which is all in-camera and shot on location, is absolutely stunning to the point of being almost inconceivable (seriously, how the fuck, did they shoot that???). It’s actually tense to the point of nausea.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick allows his audience to journey through time and space in his visual masterpiece. Backed by a collection of classical music pieces, each beautifully suiting their respective sequences, 2001 plays out in several segments, beginning at the dawn of man, mans ascent to space, and then a journey beyond.

From a visual point of view the film is still stunning. The space sequences, ships and VFX are superb. Kubrick’s minute attention to detail and perfectionism make the film feel largely timeless. The standout portion is probably Hal, the increasingly ‘aware’ AI that inevitably malfunctions once sentience begins to overcome him. It’s the most ‘set piece’ aspect of Kubrick’s otherwise distinctly philosophical, ambiguous and challenging film. Very few directors could pull off a film like this, so laboriously paced, so wilfully enigmatic and narratively light, but Kubrick does. It’s an immersive experience and you’ll perhaps not even be able to understand quite why you enjoy it so much.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

Speaking of the aforementioned game changing Star Wars , the first film is a classic journey of self discovery as a desert planet farm boy discovers a lineage bound with destiny and is whisked off to headline an intergalactic battle between the rebellion and the Empire.

Inspired by comics, pulp material, TV serials and Samurai movies, George Lucas’ space opus is the most directly influential film of all time. Nothing really changed the landscape of cinema so unequivocally as Star Wars . American cinema was on a creative high, booming. Dark films, fiercely auteurist, thanks to burgeoning young talent, were the order of the day and they were booming. Lucas offered an antithesis in a genre which had been falling by the wayside precisely because these more adult, pessimistic films had taken over. Comparatively quaint and campy, other space Sci-Fi movies of the time look archaic compared to Star Wars now. Revolutionary effects, not exactly on a big budget, created an eye catching world. The simple and relatable story, laid out as an epic quest, was easy to follow and it has Han MF Solo in it too. The young rising cast ooze charisma, the villains, droids and creatures are mesmerising. Star Wars changed everything and at its heart, beneath the bells and whistles, it’s great storytelling.

The original. Peter Jackson got it very right with LOTR, but his follow up, King Kong was arduous for all the wrong reasons. The groundbreaking original follows an intrepid band of film-makers looking to shoot on a mysterious island. They of course find Kong and other monster inhabitants of great size there. You know the rest. The journey to Kong’s island is great, and then the journey becomes more about Kong himself as he is brought back to New York to become a sideshow. Inevitably he escapes, enamoured by Fay Wray (who wouldn’t be) and the films iconic imagery is known by all. This still holds up incredibly well. It’s the archetypal B picture. A classic creature feature. It’s quaint perhaps, but still effective and still touching. Most importantly, even without the benefits of CGI, it tells it’s story far more efficiently and over an hour shorter than Jackson’s indulgent slog of a film. This was a major milestone in stop motion animation which would later be perfected by Ray Harryhausen.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God

Warner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. It was a complicated relationship between director and muse. It was also mesmerising, the two combining often to exceptional effect and perhaps not more so than this brutal journey into deadly terrain in a metaphorical search for God, in an outward search for riches and power.

Kinski is Lope De Aguirre, who vies for power during an arduous expedition, slowly driven mad as nature begins to best the group. It’s a gruelling journey and the increasing descent to madness by Kinski feels beyond cinematic (because it probably was). Astonishing imagery throughout, not least a stunning final shot that lingers long after.

Spielberg again, and the film which really started it. It’s delectably simple in narrative but ruthlessly efficient in execution. A mild-mannered businessman (Dennis Weaver) is travelling across country. Mile upon mile of dusty highway. He’s then targeted for very little reason by the maniacal driver of a big rig. This is essentially the warm up for Jaws . We never see the driver or get a deeper understanding of his motives, but this ambiguity benefits the film.

Above all though we really feel the life changing weight of this journey which is worn on Weaver’s face. He goes through the wringer and then some, finding the kind of baser instincts he never felt prior. Spielberg maintains kinetic energy in this relentless chase and manages to keep a general sense of dread in the quiet moments when the film brings the chase to a pause.

The Straight Story

An old man takes a trip across country to see his ailing brother by riding on a lawnmower. David Lynch delivers his most conventional and perhaps most quaintly heartfelt film. The film’s very distinct story is based on real life events, making what sounds odd, all the more interesting.

Lynch keeps things simple and disciplined never intruding the picture with the enigmatic quirks which became his raison d’etre. The performances are excellent, particularly Richard Farnsworth as the titular Alvin Straight.

What are your favourite cinematic journeys? Let us know on our social channels @flickeringmyth…

Tom Jolliffe is an award winning screenwriter and passionate cinephile. He has a number of films out on DVD/VOD around the world and several releases due out in 2021/2022, including, Renegades (Lee Majors, Danny Trejo, Michael Pare, Tiny Lister, Nick Moran, Patsy Kensit, Ian Ogilvy and Billy Murray), Crackdown, When Darkness Falls and War of The Worlds: The Attack (Vincent Regan). Find more info at the best personal site you’ll ever see  here . 

About Tom Jolliffe

Tom Jolliffe is an award-winning screenwriter, film journalist and passionate cinephile. He has written a number of feature films including 'Renegades' (Danny Trejo, Lee Majors), 'Cinderella's Revenge' (Natasha Henstridge) and 'War of the Worlds: The Attack' (Vincent Regan). He also wrote and produced the upcoming gothic horror film 'The Baby in the Basket'.

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Unraveling The Concept of The Hero’s Journey in Filmmaking

This podcast featuring christopher vogler opens up a lot of storytelling ideas..

Many great stories, whether told through the written word or on the silver screen, share a common thread—a hero's journey. The Hero's Journey is a narrative structure that has been a fundamental part of storytelling for centuries, and it continues to be a powerful tool in filmmaking.

One of my favorite screenwriting books is ' The Writer’s Journey ', which details Joseph Campbell's journey through storytelling and takes the writer's POV.

This was the first book I read on screenwriting and one of the best.

Christopher Vogler wrote the book, and he was recently on the Film Crux podcast talking about these concepts. So check out the podcast and we'll talk after.

What is the Hero's Journey?

'Star Wars'

I figured that after the podcast you may need a refresher on Joseph Campbell and his concept of The Hero's Journey. This not a new concept; it dates back to ancient mythology and has been used by countless cultures throughout history.

Campbell was a scholar of comparative mythology and wrote a book called "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." He identified a common pattern in myths and stories from around the world, a pattern he called the monomyth or the Hero's Journey .

The Hero's Journey is a template that outlines the stages a hero typically goes through in a story. While there may be variations and adaptations, the core structure remains consistent.

It begins with the hero's ordinary world, followed by a call to adventure, a journey into the unknown, encounters with allies and enemies, a transformation or revelation, and finally, a return to the ordinary world with newfound wisdom or gifts.

A Diagram of The Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey Diagram

Wikipedia Commons

The Hero's Journey is often depicted as a circular diagram, with each stage connected to the next in a cycle. there are many different names for the story beats in the circle.

The image above is from Wikipedia.

Here's a linear representation of Campbell's idea with beats I use when writing.

• Ordinary World : The hero's normal life before the adventure begins.
• Call to Adventure : The hero receives a call to leave their ordinary world and embark on a journey.
• Refusal of the Call : The hero hesitates or resists the call initially.
• Meeting the Mentor: The hero encounters a mentor or guide who provides advice or assistance.
• Crossing the Threshold : The hero commits to leaving the ordinary world and entering the unknown.
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies : The hero faces challenges, makes allies, and encounters adversaries.
• Approaching the Cave : The hero gets closer to the central challenge or conflict.
• Ordeal : The hero faces a major test, often their most significant challenge.
• Reward : The hero overcomes the ordeal and gains a reward or insight.
• The Road Back: The hero begins the journey back to the ordinary world.
• Resurrection : The hero faces one final, climactic challenge.
• Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to the ordinary world, transformed, and brings something valuable back.

Examples of The Hero's Journey in Film

'The Matrix'

Warner Bros.

Many iconic films have embraced the Hero's Journey structure to great effect. Here are a few examples:

• Star Wars : George Lucas drew heavily from Joseph Campbell's work when creating the Star Wars saga. Luke Skywalker's journey from a farm boy on Tatooine to a Jedi Knight follows the Hero's Journey pattern closely.
• The Lord of the Rings : J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy, adapted into films by Peter Jackson, showcases the Hero's Journey through Frodo's quest to destroy the One Ring.
• The Matrix: The Wachowskis used the Hero's Journey to guide Neo's transformation from a computer hacker to "The One" who can save humanity.
• The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy's adventure in the Land of Oz is a classic Hero's Journey, complete with a call to adventure, allies, adversaries, and a return home with newfound wisdom.

How Filmmakers Utilize the Hero's Journey

• Creating Relatable Characters: One of the most significant advantages of the Hero's Journey in filmmaking is its ability to create relatable characters. Audiences connect with heroes who face challenges, make sacrifices, and experience personal growth. By following this narrative structure, filmmakers can craft characters that resonate with viewers on a deep emotional level.
• Building Tension and Conflict: The Hero's Journey provides a built-in framework for tension and conflict. As the hero progresses through the various stages, they encounter obstacles, adversaries, and setbacks, keeping the audience engaged and invested in the story's outcome.
• Engaging Audiences on an Emotional Level: The Hero's Journey is not just about physical challenges; it's also about the hero's internal journey. Filmmakers can use this structure to explore the hero's emotions, fears, and desires, allowing the audience to connect with the character on an emotional level.
• Crafting Memorable Endings: The return of the hero to the ordinary world at the end of their journey often leaves a lasting impact on the audience. Filmmakers can use this moment to deliver powerful messages, resolutions, or open-ended conclusions that leave viewers thinking long after the credits roll.

More Reading on The Hero's Journey

The Lion King (2019)

This is No Film School, of course we've written about this concept many times before. so here are some articles for you to peruse as well...

• What Are the Fundamentals of the Hero's Journey?
• What Is the 'Call to Adventure' in Storytelling?
• Joseph Campbell's Monomyth: A Brief History and Introduction
• Puppets Reenact Your Favorite Movie Moments to Explain Joseph Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey’
• The Other Hero's Journey: The Emotional Struggle of Screenwriting
• Over 48 Hours of Joseph Campbell Lectures Released for Free on Spotify
• This Supercut Takes You Through the Hero's Journey of over 50 Iconic Films

The Hero's Journey is a storytelling archetype deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. It provides filmmakers with a powerful tool to engage and captivate audiences.

By understanding and utilizing this narrative structure, filmmakers can create compelling stories with relatable characters, tension, and emotional depth.

Whether you're crafting a space opera or an intimate drama, the Hero's Journey remains a timeless blueprint for successful storytelling in filmmaking.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

• The Other Hero's Journey: The Emotional Struggle of Screenwriting ›
• This Supercut Takes You Through the Hero's Journey of over 50 Iconic Films ›
• What Are the Fundamentals of the Hero's Journey? ›
• Writing 101: What Is the Hero's Journey? 2 Hero's Journey ... ›
• The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work (The ... ›
• Hero's journey - Wikipedia ›

Buckle Up For the Future of The No Film School Podcast

We're coming at you with new and improved updates for your filmmaking ears to hear and love..

Howdy, fellow No Film School Podcast fans.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled web surfing for a quick little update on what's in store for the future of the pod. Check out the video explainer below where our beloved host GG Hawkins breaks down what is in store, and stay tuned for our next episode featuring the screenwriter of Challengers Justin Kritzkes.

Eu phoria season three news? Beats me, but he probably met Zendaya at least once proabably.

No Film School Podcast Update 

What are the best fantasy movies of all time, what are the best adventure movies of all time, get your horror feature funded with unknown nightmare, what is a the thematic echo in screenwriting, blackmagic camera app set to finally come to android, missing curb read this unreleased 'seinfeld' script, here’s everything you may have missed at nab 2024, do you know all these film and tv lighting terms, what are logical fallacies, packaging and the death of naked specs.

Journeys in Film

Journeys in Film has been a leading force in global education for over a decade. They harness the storytelling power of film and quality standards-based lesson plans to inspire and engage students in learning. They identify feature-length, English- and foreign-language narrative and documentary films to engage students in active learning, exploring issues such as poverty, refugees, climate change and pandemics. Moving beyond lectures and textbooks, their goal is to provide insight, transform preconceptions and prejudices, and foster genuine cultural understanding, using films as springboards for interdisciplinary lesson plans.

Examples include He Named Me Malala , a film and lesson guide that celebrates the dedication of Malala Yousafzai to the cause of girls' education worldwide, and Beat the Drum , a contemporary South African film about the devastation of HIV/AIDS.

Journeys in Film is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is working in partnership with USC’s Rossier School of Education . Rossier’s mission is to improve learning in urban education locally, nationally and globally.

Journeys in Film.  https://journeysinfilm.org .

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This report developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assesses biases against women, analyzing attitudes toward women’s roles across four dimensions: political, educational, economic, and physical integrity. Using data from 80 countries and territories worldwide, covering 85% of the global population, the 2023 Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) finds that nearly 9 out of 10 men and women hold fundamental biases against women. The index analyzes attitudes across seven indicators, including access to higher…

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The 12 Best Movies That Follow the Hero's Journey

These movies use the monomyth to spectacular results.

Everyone who's interested in how stories are made is bound to have heard the term "the Hero's Journey." Also known as the monomyth, it's a story archetype coined and popularized by Joseph Campbell in the mid-1900s when he noticed that heroes in myths typically go through the same 17 stages in their journey, from the call to adventure that gets the character out of their comfort zone, to the freedom to live found at the end of the ordeals in their adventure.

This narrative template has served as the basis and inspiration of countless stories throughout history – including numerous outstanding films. From a grand fantastical story like Star Wars , to something more grounded in reality like O Brother, Where Art Thou? , these movies don't always follow every single one of the steps outlined by Campbell, but they stick to more than enough to call each of them a hero's journey . A tried-and-true way of telling successful stories that resonate with audiences of all ages and nationalities, movies that follow the Hero's Journey, if well-written, are always a delight like no other.

12 'Men in Black' (1997)

Barry sonnenfeld's campy sci-fi comedy.

One of the most iconic movies you may not know is based on Marvel comics , Men in Black is the story of a cop ( Will Smith ) who, after a chase with an otherworldly being, is recruited by an organization that monitors and polices alien activity on Earth. There's something for every sci-fi fan to enjoy in this movie, from visually stunning special effects to mind-blowing action and just the right amount of humor.

Men in Black follows the Hero's Journey nearly to a tee , from Agent J getting the call to join the mission of protecting the planet from alien threats and initially refusing the call, to him finally learning to master his two worlds and become the hero he was meant to be. The result is a thrilling sci-fi action adventure that doesn't get nearly enough praise nowadays, with a heroic protagonist that's a joy to follow through his journey.

Men In Black

Watch on Hulu

11 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' (2000)

Joel and ethan coen's take on an old classic.

The Coen brothers are masters of making some of the most entertaining crime movies, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? is definitely one of their best. Loosely based on Homer 's The Odyssey , it's about three fugitives roaming the southern U.S. in search of treasure with the law hot on their heels. Unlike the Greek classic, however, the Coens' crime film has great Southern American music, traditional Western tropes, and stars George Clooney , Tim Blake Nelson , and John Turturro .

The characters in O Brother, Where Art Thou? encounter mentors, face challenges, and go through profound transformations , just like the heroes in the monomyth do. The ensuing adventure is as humorous as it is exciting, an offbeat adaptation of a massively important and influential classic. You can't go wrong with a well-written and well-directed Coen brothers movie, so O Brother should easily please all cinephiles' palates.

Rent on Apple TV

10 'Batman Begins' (2005)

Christopher nolan's reinvention of the caped crusader.

Movies with Hero's Journey archetypes are fun enough as they are, but mix those elements with a superhero origin story, and you get one of the best entries in the superhero genre . That's what Batman Begins is, as it reinvents the story of Bruce Wayne's ( Christian Bale ) origins as the vigilante hero Batman, by placing the character on a journey to become the guardian that his beloved Gotham City deserves.

Christopher Nolan's first installment in his Dark Knight Trilogy feels more like a character-driven thriller than a traditional superhero film, in the best sense possible. The director cleverly fits Bruce's process of becoming the Dark Knight into Campbell's monomyth , showing audiences how the hero is eventually able to master his new identity to save his city.

Batman Begins

Watch on Max

9 'The Matrix' (1999)

Lana and lilly wachowski's game-changing extravaganza.

When the Wachowskis released The Matrix before the turn of the century, the world was taken by storm, and the sci-fi genre in films would never be the same again. In the movie that cemented him as an action star, Keanu Reeves plays Neo, a man who joins a group of insurgents in their fight against the powerful computers who rule Earth. To this day, The Matrix still receives praise as one of the best sci-fi movies ever .

With its visual innovations, clever cinematography, and unique philosophical themes that have been endlessly analyzed throughout the years, The Matrix was unlike anything audiences had seen before at the time of its release . Perhaps one of the main reasons why its story clicked so well with viewers around the world was because it closely follows the stages of the Hero's Journey, as Neo goes from an average Joe to an all-powerful hero.

Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

8 'Kung Fu Panda' (2008)

Mark osborne and john stevenson's martial arts adventure.

For those that think that family animated movies are exclusively for children, Kung Fu Panda is the perfect mind-changing watch. It follows Po ( Jack Black ), a lazy panda who dreams of being a kung fu hero, as he's thrust into a journey of discovering his destiny as the Chosen One. There are many examples of the Hero's Journey in movies that logically follow the same structure, but the creative things that Kung Fu Panda does with the archetype are entirely its own .

Just like all the compelling heroes of Campbell's model, Po is called to action, goes through several life-threatening ordeals with help from friends and allies, and finds that the power to be the guardian of the Valley of Peace comes from within. Sprinkled with hilarious humor, outstanding voice acting, and some of the best action in any animated film , it's undoubtedly one of DreamWorks Animation's best efforts.

Kung Fu Panda

7 'finding nemo' (2003), andrew stanton's love letter to fatherhood.

Hero's Journey movies are usually action-focused epics, and not often family-friendly stories about fish. That only makes Finding Nemo even more special. It's the story of Marlin ( Albert Brooks ), a timid clownfish who, after his son Nemo ( Alexander Gould in one of the best child voice performances in animated cinema) is kidnapped, sets out to find him against all the threats that the deep blue sea has to offer.

Though Finding Nemo isn't your typical kind of hero's journey, where the story is much more intimate and the biggest threats that the characters face are mostly internal, it very much follows the formula. What finds itself transformed in the end is the relationship between Marlin and Nemo, in one of the most touching endings of Pixar's filmography.

Finding Nemo

Watch on Disney+

6 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

Victor fleming's timeless musical classic.

An exciting adventure that uses both black-and-white and beautiful color , through a fantastical land that any movie fan would love to live in, The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy ( Judy Garland ) in her journey through the magical land of Oz, searching for a mysterious wizard who can send her back home.

The movie was an absolute sensation when it came out, and even after more than three-quarters of a century, it's still remembered as one of the greatest American movie masterpieces. The stages of the monomyth are clear in The Wizard of Oz : the ordinary world is Kansas, Dorothy crosses a very literal threshold to a vastly different world, and her journey of transformation is full of faces both friendly and menacing.

The Wizard of Oz

5 'the lion king' (1994), roger allers and rob minkoff's twist on shakespeare.

1994's The Lion King is a movie that needs no introduction. Many would say that it's the best-animated movie to ever come out of Disney, and it's fully understandable, thanks to its timeless songs and the animated film's brilliant depiction of grief . It's the grand and epic story of Simba ( Matthew Broderick ), a lion cub prince who's tricked into exile by his uncle Scar ( Jeremy Irons ), who wishes to have the throne for himself.

The animation is majestic, with some really charming character designs, and the story is compelling from beginning to end. Its philosophical themes of identity and self-discovery are beautiful, and the way they're conveyed through a classic hero's journey structure in The Lion King is simply perfect . The film is in certain ways an adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Hamlet , but its fidelity to Campbell's monomyth is much more interesting to dissect.

The Lion King (1994)

4 'harry potter' saga (2001 - 2011), warner bros.' magical journey through hogwarts.

The Harry Potter series features not just one, but eight of the movies that best follow the Hero's Journey. From Chris Columbus 's Sorcerer's Stone to David Yates 's Deathly Hallows — Part 2 , the franchise follows the coming-of-age story of the titular character ( Daniel Radcliffe ) and his two best friends, as they grow to become key players in a war against an evil wizard.

Everyone has a different favorite installment in the series, but every Harry Potter movie plays an equally crucial role in the overarching narrative of the story, which very closely follows the monomyth . Not only that, but each film follows a smaller version of the general model as well. It's probably what makes these movies so easy to enjoy, since they so faithfully walk along the lines laid out by Campbell and so many filmmakers from before 2001.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.

3 'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy (2001 - 2003)

Peter jackson's walk to mordor.

There are countless things that make Peter Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings trilogy one of the best fantasy film franchises of all time, and one of the most important is the fact that all three installments in the trilogy truly feel like part of a greater whole, as they collaborate in telling the story of Frodo ( Elijah Wood ), the Fellowship of the Ring, and their efforts to destroy the greatest tool of an evil tyrant terrorizing Middle-earth.

Of course, the monomyth-following template was already there, set in stone by the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien when he wrote what's undoubtedly one of the best series of fantasy books in history. Even yet, the way Jackson and company built on top of that, telling a story that feels undeniably cinematic, is admirable beyond measure.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

2 'citizen kane' (1941), orson welles's groundbreaking masterpiece.

When Orson Welles made his passion project Citizen Kane , he probably had no idea that he was making what would in the future be referred to as the single greatest film of all time by thousands of people, as well as one of the most essential movies of the '40s . Inspired by magnate William Randolph Hearst , it's a character study about a group of reporters trying to decipher the last words of Charles Foster Kane (Welles), a powerful newspaper tycoon.

Citizen Kane is an entirely unique picture, and the way it's structured is just as well. Citizen Kane follows Campbell's monomyth formula in a very non-traditional way , which only makes it more of a groundbreaking story. There are plenty of good reasons for its fame, and that's certainly one of the biggest.

Citizen Kane

1 'star wars' (1977), george lucas's revolutionary space opera.

Perhaps no movie more famously follows the Hero's Journey archetype than Star Wars , with George Lucas having taken direct inspiration from Campbell . The hero in this particular story is Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ), a young farm boy who's thrown into an adventure far greater than anything he'd encountered before, joining the Rebellion against the dictatorial Galactic Empire.

One of the best space operas of all time, Star Wars showcases what makes the monomyth such an effective way of telling stories and celebrating the art of storytelling itself. Luke is a deeply compelling hero, his journey is incredibly entertaining, and all the allies and villains that he encounters along the way are equally iconic. As far as modern myths go, Star Wars is certainly one of the best.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

NEXT: Movies You Didn't Realize Were Based on Greek Mythology

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30 movies with epic journeys

Wheels not yet in motion for a weekend excursion? Get comfy and hitch a ride with these faves.

Gary is a Senior Writer for EW

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

Whether you're a parent or a kid, this is probably the way you really remember the family road trip: as a Sisyphean obstacle course and endurance test, with one disappointment after another. Of course, when it happens to someone else's family, it's epic-scale funny.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The yellow brick road is the setting for every moviegoer's first road movie. In typical road movie fashion, Dorothy ( Judy Garland ) discovers that the point of her journey is not the destination but the friendships made and lessons learned along the way. (One lesson: It's not necessarily a good idea to stop and smell the flowers.)

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Get outta Burt Reynolds ' way. Reynolds in his Trans Am and Jerry Reed in his semi have just a few hours to make the Texarkana-Florida run, and they've got illegal beer to deliver. The quintessential chase movie of Reynolds' career, and therefore, of the whole '70s.

It Happened One Night (1934)

All kinds meet and mingle on the road—in this case, a streetwise reporter ( Clark Gable ) and a runaway heiress ( Claudette Colbert ), who knows a better limb than the thumb for an attractive hitchhiker to use to get a ride. The first great road movie in Hollywood history, and the first great screwball romantic comedy, with an armload of Oscars (including for Gable, Colbert, and Best Picture) to prove it.

The Sure Thing (1985)

Gen X's own It Happened One Night , with college students Walter ( John Cusack ) and Allison (Daphne Zuniga) in the Gable and Colbert roles, finding themselves improvising their way across the country. Hey, you'd do whatever it takes not to be trapped in a car with Tim Robbins singing show tunes.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

The title says it all, as mismatched travelers Neal ( Steve Martin ) and Del ( John Candy ) use every means available to get home for Thanksgiving. Anyone whose road trip ever involved a rental car will appreciate Martin's rant at the leasing agency.

Easy Rider (1969)

Captain America ( Peter Fonda ) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) mount their choppers to go looking for America but, as the movie's tagline noted, couldn't find it anywhere. Instead, in the definitive motorcycle movie, they find alternative communities of overlooked Americans, a wild and wacky Jack Nicholson (in his star-making role), and the dark heart of anti-countercultural backlash.

Road Trip (2000)

Not so much a raunchy college romp as an homage to the raunchy college romps of the early '80s (a formula the filmmakers would perfect with Old School ), this trek at least has the virtue of inclusiveness. There aren't any freaks or perverts or losers on this ride, just a mismatched set of misfits who all deserve their own shot at pleasure and happiness, however their boats happen to float. (Exhibit A: Tom Green.)

Into the Wild (2007)

Following the examples set in the 19th century by Thoreau, Twain, and Whitman, Chris McCandless ( Emile Hirsch ) sheds all his attachments on a quest to escape from society and explore the frontier, but society keeps finding him (in the form of alternative communities and would-be surrogate relatives), and he discovers that the only frontier that others haven't already explored is inside his own restless heart.

Death Race 2000 (1975)

Yes, this movie was remade into a sleek action extravaganza in 2008, but you have to love the pulpy, low-tech original version, about a futuristic cross-country demo derby whose drivers get extra points for mowing down pedestrians. The late David Carradine is typically grim as the champ Frankenstein, while the then-unknown Sylvester Stallone is lean and hungry as his challenger.

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)

The most existential of all the existential road movies of its era ( Easy Rider , Vanishing Point , Five Easy Pieces , Electra Glide in Blue ), this laconic tale of two nameless drag racers stars James Taylor (yes, that James Taylor) and Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, who compete against Warren Oates for girls, car titles, and glory. The real-life Cannonball Run race was inspired by this movie.

The Straight Story (1999)

In David Lynch 's gentlest movie, a dying WWII veteran (the majestic Richard Farnsworth ) is so determined to make peace with his estranged brother ( Harry Dean Stanton ) that he travels on a riding lawnmower to see him across state lines.

Lolita (1962)

Old world professor Humbert ( James Mason ) doesn't just fall for the much too young Lolita; he also falls for America, in all its kitschy roadside glory, from bubble gum to motels to soda pop.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Young Che Guevara ( Gael García Bernal ) and his friend Alberto Granado (Argentinian actor Rodrigo de la Serna, a real-life relative of Che) do the Easy Rider thing across South America. On the journey, their encounters with the downtrodden radicalized Che and helped make him the Communist poster boy he still is today.

Badlands (1973)

Inspired by the Charles Starkweather case, and starring an impossibly young Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek , Terrence Malick 's first film is a dreamy, strangely beautiful meditation on the twin American loves of the open road and senseless violence.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Nominated for Best Picture, this dysfunctional-family-on-the-road comedy—starring Greg Kinnear , Steve Carell , Alan Arkin , Abigail Breslin , Toni Collette , and Paul Dano —plays out like the indie version of National Lampoon's Vacation .

Cannonball Run (1981)

Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and Farrah Fawcett lead the pack in this all-star cross-country underground race. Chaotic comedy ensues. Screenwriter Brock Yates founded the actual Cannonball race, inspired in turn by the aforementioned Two-Lane Blacktop .

Road to Rio (1947)

Sometimes the road trip leads to enlightenment and self-knowledge; sometimes it's just an excuse to make wisecracks and break into song. This is probably the best of the seven Road films made by Bob Hope , Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour, full of elaborate musical numbers, showbiz in-jokes, and fourth-wall-breaking asides to the audience.

Y tu mamá también (2001)

Best friends Julio (Gael García Bernal) and Tenoch ( Diego Luna ) travel across Mexico seeking adventure, sex, and wisdom, only dimly aware that all three are accompanying them in the mysterious form of slightly older woman Luisa, played by Maribel Verdú.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Road trips are for everyone. All in all, Geena Davis ' Thelma and Susan Sarandon 's Louise had a pretty fun time. Except for the whole roadhouse parking lot incident. Oh, and the road trip's last few feet.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

This Australian comedy about a trio of drag queens who get a cabaret gig in the middle of the desert is a journey of revelations and self-discovery pretty much like any other on this list, only with an ABBA soundtrack and a lot more sequins.

Midnight Run (1988)

Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin compete to see who can do the funnier slow burn as annoyed bounty hunter De Niro drags annoying Mob accountant Grodin across the country, with rival bounty hunters and mobsters in hot pursuit.

Paper Moon (1973)

Smooth con man Moses (Ryan O'Neal) and even smoother con moppet Addie ( Tatum O'Neal in her Oscar-winning role) travel across the Depression-era Dust Bowl, scamming the gullible and each other along the way.

Sideways (2004)

Spend a hilariously uncomfortable week touring California whine country—er, wine country—with a painfully self-absorbed guy who's not quite ready to get married (Thomas Haden Church) and a painfully self-conscious guy who's not quite ready to accept his divorce ( Paul Giamatti ). Just remember, don't drink and drive; spit first.

Sherman's March (1986)

Ross McElwee's wistful documentary masterpiece started as an effort to trace the effects of General Sherman's scorched-earth campaign during the Civil War, but it mutates during the filming into a chronicle of McElwee's own romantic failures. The full title is Sherman's March: A Meditation on the Possibility of Romantic Love in the South During an Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation .

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

It's a dangerous business stepping out your door, Bilbo ( Ian Holm ) tells Frodo, since you never know where you may end up. The road is a crucible of character for dreamy Frodo ( Elijah Wood ) and timid Sam ( Sean Astin ), forging them into heroes capable of courageous acts they never dreamed they could accomplish. Bonus points for making the entire journey barefoot.

The Wages of Fear (1953)

This French thriller turns the road trip genre into an exercise in existential dread—a nail-biting one along bumpy mountain roads in a truck carrying a cargo of nitroglycerine.

Lost in America (1985)

When you flee the corporate world, sell all your assets, buy a mobile home, and take your nest egg along with you on your journey to find the heart of America, it's probably a good idea not to stop at a Vegas casino along the way.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Like Lolita (and not just in a creepy way), this story of a lad's ( Paul Reubens ) search for his stolen bicycle is really a celebration of kitschy roadside Americana, from biker bars to tourist traps, and drive-in movie theaters to giant, hollow fiberglass dinosaurs.

The Lucky Ones (2007)

Three soldiers back from Iraq ( Rachel McAdams , Tim Robbins, and Michael Peña ) bond during a road trip across the United States.

Related Articles

Journeys in film

Journeys in Film was founded in 2003 to broaden global learning through the powerful combination of age-appropriate films from around the world and interdisciplinary classroom materials designed to develop 21st century academic skills for Middle School students.

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Films [ edit | edit source ]

Our program uses film as a "window" to help students in America's classrooms mitigate attitudes of cultural bias and racism, develop a deeper understanding of global issues, and prepare youth for effective participation in the world economy.

Materials [ edit | edit source ]

Journeys in Film curricular materials provide innovative standards-based lessons that foster deeper learning with real-life connections, resulting in an immersive high-impact experience for secondary students in any educational setting. This approach helps educational systems enrich their academic offerings without increasing personnel or operating costs, while meeting their federal and state educational performance mandates.

Methodology [ edit | edit source ]

Our methodology applies visual storytelling as a tool for engaging students - connecting them with their peers and locations around the world while building skills in math , science , language arts, social studies , visual arts , media literacy and intercultural communication .

Teaching guide [ edit | edit source ]

Download a free interdisciplinary teaching guide for teaching high school students about South African culture and HIV AIDS based on the film Beat the Drum. Beat the Drum is a contemporary South African film about the devastation of HIV / AIDS. It follows a young boy, Musa, who is orphaned after his parents die of the disease. In order to help his grandmother, he leaves his village in KwaZulu, Natal to find his uncle. As he makes the physical journey from his remote village to the urban landscape of Johannesburg, the film follows his emotional quest for survival, understanding, and community. Thanks to the generous support through a grant made by The Fledgling Fund, Journeys in Film is proud to provide a complete inter-disciplinary curriculum guide for FREE.

Liam Neeson is the National Spokesperson for Journeys in Film.

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The 95+ Best Movies With Journey in the Title

How many movies with journey in the title can you name? This list ranks the best movies with journey in the name, whether they're documentaries, dramas, horror movies, or any other genre of film. Do you have a favorite movie with journey in the title? Categorizing movies by words in their titles is kind of uncommon, but that's a big part of why this list is so fun to scroll through. There's probably one movie with journey in the title you think of right away, but you might be shocked to see how many others exist as well.

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

A heartwarming tale about the unwavering loyalty of pets, this 1993 film follows two dogs and a cat as they embark on a treacherous journey across the American wilderness to reunite with their family. With perseverance, courage, and friendship, these furry heroes navigate various challenges and form an unbreakable bond. This timeless classic is guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings of viewers of all ages.

• # 13 of 174 on The 150+ Best Animal Movies
• # 23 of 114 on The Greatest Movie Remakes Of All Time
• # 34 of 200 on The 195+ Greatest Adventure Movies

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Brendan Fraser leads a thrilling expedition in this modern adaptation of Jules Verne's timeless classic. Alongside a dedicated group of explorers, they embark on a perilous descent into the Earth's core, encountering wondrous sights and dangerous obstacles along the way. A perfect blend of action, suspense, and adventure makes this film a must-watch.

• # 20 of 32 on Blockbusters With No Cultural Impact Whatsoever, Ranked
• # 26 of 80 on The Best Adventure Movies For Kids
• # 23 of 45 on The 40+ Best Family Sci-Fi Movies

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Get ready for a rollicking adventure in this 2012 sequel to the 2008 film. Join a young adventurer, his stepfather, and a helicopter pilot as they set out to find an elusive island rumored to be home to buried treasure, fantastical creatures, and more. Packed with stunning visuals and heart-pounding action sequences, this movie will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

• # 36 of 45 on The 40+ Best Family Sci-Fi Movies
• # 28 of 56 on The 50+ Best PG Adventure Movies For Families
• # 5 of 38 on The Best Movies About Finding Lost Worlds

This classic adaptation of Jules Verne's beloved novel takes viewers on a thrilling adventure deep beneath the Earth's surface. Starring James Mason, Pat Boone, and Arlene Dahl, the film whisks audiences away to an underground world filled with exotic creatures and dazzling landscapes. A visual masterpiece and true testament to the power of imagination.

• # 6 of 51 on The Greatest Classic Sci-Fi Movies
• # 21 of 42 on The Best Science Fiction Family Movies
• # 22 of 22 on The Most Unlikely Cartoons Based on Live-Action Movies

This rendition of Jules Verne's iconic novel stars Rick Schroder and offers a fresh perspective on the perilous descent to the Earth's core. The explorers encounter exceptional wonders and formidable challenges as they forge on, keeping viewers captivated throughout. Daring adventure and captivating visuals make this film an unforgettable experience.

The Incredible Journey

Based on the novel by Sheila Burnford, this 1963 film follows the harrowing adventure of two dogs and a cat as they navigate the Canadian wilderness in search of their family. Their perseverance, courage, and friendship keep them determined to overcome every obstacle that comes their way. A truly inspiring story that showcases the unswerving loyalty of pets.

Long Day's Journey Into Night

This adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play delves into the turbulent relationships within a deeply troubled family. With powerful performances and an emotionally raw script, the characters' pain and turmoil are felt throughout the film. A thought-provoking and ultimately heart-wrenching experience that showcases the complexities of familial bonds.

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

In this sequel to the cult classic Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure , our lovable slackers embark on a new comedic quest as they attempt to win the Battle of the Bands. This zany film is loaded with laughs, surreal situations, and even a few moments of wisdom. It's an excellent follow-up for fans of the original and newcomers alike.

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Set in the world of championship show choirs, this drama follows a talented young singer as she navigates the cutthroat world of high-stakes competition. Along the way, she learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, and finding her own voice. A powerful reminder that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Though not a traditional movie, this highly immersive theme park attraction offers fans of the beloved series a chance to become a part of the magic. As riders venture through Hogwarts Castle and its enchanted grounds, they experience unique sights, sounds, and even magical creatures from the Harry Potter universe. For fans young and old, it's an unforgettable part of the Wizarding World experience.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

This 2013 Chinese action-comedy film delivers a fresh take on the classic tale of the Monkey King and his journey to the west. With engaging characters, memorable fight sequences, and a healthy dose of humor, it's an entertaining blend of spectacle and heart. Fans of the original story and newcomers alike will find plenty to enjoy in this wildly imaginative film.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The first installment of Peter Jackson's acclaimed Hobbit trilogy introduces viewers to the incredible world of Middle-earth. As the young hobbit Bilbo Baggins sets off on an epic quest alongside a band of dwarves and the wise wizard Gandalf, they encounter legendary creatures, breathtaking landscapes, and thrilling battles. This captivating film serves as both a prelude to The Lord of the Rings and a stand-alone tale of adventure.

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The Journey to Kafiristan

Based on a true story , this 2001 film explores the fascinating journey of two women, one a writer and the other a scientist, as they travel to the mysterious region of Kafiristan in 1939. Along the way, they face challenges both physical and emotional, ultimately discovering the transformative power of culture and human connection. A captivating exploration of identity, destiny, and the power of self-discovery.

Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance

This Australian mockumentary shines a comedic light on the eccentric world of competitive dance. With a quirky cast of characters, hilarious situations, and surprising twists, it exposes the fierce rivalries that exist even in such a seemingly innocent pastime. A laugh-out-loud comedy that will leave viewers thoroughly entertained.

Dark Journey

Set against the backdrop of World War I, this 1937 film stars Vivien Leigh and Conrad Veidt as two undercover agents who fall in love despite being on opposing sides. The suspenseful and emotional narrative keeps viewers engaged as they grapple with love, betrayal, and loyalty. A must-watch for fans of espionage thrillers and classic cinema.

Journey for Margaret

This heartwarming film set during World War II focuses on a war correspondent who finds solace by helping two orphaned children find a new home. The emotional journey that unfolds showcases the resilience of the human spirit and the power of hope during trying times. An uplifting, poignant story that resonates across generations.

Desperate Journey

This World War II drama focuses on a group of Allied pilots who must navigate enemy territory after their plane is shot down. With cunning and teamwork, they battle against numerous threats while attempting to complete their mission. A classic war film packed with suspense and moments of triumph, it's sure to leave viewers inspired.

Gallant Journey

Chronicling the life and work of aviation pioneer John Montgomery, this 1946 biographical drama captures the spirit of innovation and determination that fueled his groundbreaking achievements. Filled with flying contraptions, daring feats, and human camaraderie, Gallant Journey is an inspiring tale of perseverance and achievement against all odds.

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World

In this animated sequel to Disney's classic Pocahontas , our heroine sails across the Atlantic to negotiate peace between her people and the English settlers. As she adjusts to a new culture and faces powerful adversaries, Pocahontas comes to realize that her journey is far from over. The film offers a fresh perspective on a beloved character while continuing the themes of unity and understanding.

Long Day's Journey into Night is a 1987 movie adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's renowned play. The film revolves around the Tyrone family, who gather together in their summer home and confront their past regrets, addiction, and strained relationships. Notable cast members include Jack Lemmon as James Tyrone, Kevin Spacey as Jamie Tyrone, and Bethel Leslie as Mary Tyrone. This emotionally charged drama delves into themes of familial dysfunction, the destructive power of addiction, and the search for redemption, leaving a lasting impact on both the genre and pop culture.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

This inspiring documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of one of the most iconic children's television programs, Sesame Street , as it chronicles the life and career of puppeteer Kevin Clash. From a young age, Clash's passion for puppetry led him on an incredible journey, culminating in his role as the beloved character, Elmo. The film offers a heartwarming look at the man behind the magic, demonstrating the power of dreams and determination.

Winter Journey

Based on the novel by George Clare, this poignant drama follows a Holocaust survivor's return to Europe to confront the ghosts of his past. In doing so, he must face his own guilt and learn to accept the love and support of those around him. A deeply moving exploration of grief, redemption, and the power of human connection.

Journey To The Christmas Star

In this Norwegian holiday film, a brave young girl sets out on a quest to find the legendary Christmas Star, believed to grant wishes. Along the way, she encounters magical creatures, treacherous landscapes, and a heartwarming tale of hope and love. A delightful family film that will enchant viewers during the holiday season.

Semper Fi: One Marine's Journey

This powerful documentary follows the struggles and triumphs of Jeff Key, a gay U.S. Marine who served in Iraq before deciding to take a stand against the military's discriminatory policies. Through personal interviews, footage from his experiences overseas, and his journey into activism, Semper Fi delivers a moving portrait of one man's fight for justice and acceptance.

The Desire: A Journey of a Women

An impactful portrayal of a woman's self-discovery, this Indian film delves into the life of a talented artist who embarks on a journey to find her true identity and desires. Along the way, she encounters challenges, both personal and professional, that ultimately shape her into a stronger and more self-aware individual. A thought-provoking and empowering tale that transcends cultural boundaries.

Metal: A Headbanger's Journey

This Canadian documentary offers an in-depth look at the fascinating world of heavy metal music and its diverse fan base. Through candid interviews, live performances, and insightful commentary, the film explores the history, subgenres, and cultural impact of this often misunderstood musical genre. A must-watch for metal enthusiasts and music lovers alike.

A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

Renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese narrates this engrossing documentary that delves into the world of American cinema. Providing his own insights, Scorsese pays homage to the films and filmmakers that have shaped and inspired his illustrious career. A captivating exploration of the art, history, and impact of American movies - a treat for film aficionados.

Journey Beyond Three Seas

This historical drama from the Soviet Union recounts the adventures of a 15th-century Afanasy Nikitin, a Russian merchant who journeys to India. The film explores his encounters with different cultures, religions, and natural wonders as he navigates this unfamiliar land. A visually stunning and enlightening depiction of cross-cultural exploration.

Love's Long Journey

The third installment of the beloved Love Comes Softly series, this heartwarming tale follows a newlywed couple as they embark on a perilous journey to start a new life on the Western frontier. Filled with triumphs and setbacks, the film is a touching testament to the resilience of human spirit and the power of love and faith.

The Journey

Set during the height of the Cold War, this tense 1959 drama stars Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr as an American couple caught up in a political kidnapping. As they navigate a web of danger and deception, the film keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. A gripping exploration of love, loyalty, and human connection during turbulent times.

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Journey 2: the mysterious island cast & character guide - where you've seen the actors before.

With A-list stars like The Rock and Vanessa Hudgens at the helm, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island has a stacked cast of Hollywood heavyweights.

• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island brings a fresh perspective with a shift in narrative focus, combining mystery, fantasy, and action.
• Dwayne Johnson's charismatic performance as Hank Parsons adds humor, physical prowess, and emotional depth to the film.
• Vanessa Hudgens' portrayal of Kailani is full of confidence and charm.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the second installment in the Journey film franchise, which features an all-star cast including Vanessa Hudgens. While 2008's Journey to the Center of the Earth was inspired by Jules Verne's classic sci-fi novel of the same name, Journey 2 embraces a different Verne novel, The Mysterious Island , as its primary source material and focuses more on comedy. Unlike the first film's underground exploration theme, Journey 2 expands its horizon to an enigmatic island, introducing new characters and challenges. It makes for an exciting standalone adventure while maintaining a connection to the franchise's adventurous spirit.

This shift in narrative focus brings a fresh perspective to the franchise, offering a new adventure that combines elements of mystery, fantasy, and action. The sequel stands out for its unique blend of mythical creatures, hidden treasures, and uncharted territories, providing a visually stunning and thrilling experience. However, 2012's Journey 2: The Mysterious Island not only explores new thematic terrain but also features a star-studded cast that adds depth and charisma to its fantastical world. The film's ensemble comprises both seasoned actors and rising stars, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in an interesting transitional phase of his career.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s Franchises Ranked Worst To Best

Dwayne johnson as hank parsons.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays Hank Parsons in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island . Hank is Sean Anderson's stepfather, a former Navy codebreaker who reluctantly joins the adventure. Typical of other Johnson performances, his character brings a blend of humor, physical prowess, and emotional depth to the film. Hank's relationship with Sean evolves throughout the movie, adding a layer of family dynamics to the adventurous storyline. His expertise in navigation and survival skills proves crucial in the challenges they face on the island.

Dwayne Johnson's career transition from a professional wrestler to a Hollywood superstar is legendary. Known for his charismatic screen presence and action-packed performances, Johnson has starred in major blockbusters like the Fast & Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs , San Andreas as Raymond, and Jumanji as Spencer. His roles showcase his physical strength and comedic talent, making him one of the most entertaining stars in the industry. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island marks an interesting point in Johnson's career, as it was right on the cusp of him becoming a bankable actor able who brings in billions at the box office.

Josh Hutcherson As Sean Anderson

Josh Hutcherson is the bridge between the first movie and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island , as he reprises his role as Sean Anderson, the intrepid young explorer from the 2008 film. Sean embarks on another extraordinary adventure, this time to find his missing grandfather on the mythical Mysterious Island. His character's bravery, intelligence, and curiosity drive the plot, as he navigates through the island's wonders and dangers. Sean's development from the first film is evident, showcasing a more mature and confident explorer, yet retaining the youthful enthusiasm that defines his character.

Josh Hutcherson became a household name with his role as Peeta Mellark in the Hunger Games series , a part that catapulted him to international fame. His portrayal of the compassionate and resourceful Peeta garnered critical acclaim and a massive fan following. Before The Hunger Games , Hutcherson had already established himself as a talented young actor with roles in other adventure films, such as Jesse in Bridge to Terabithia and Walter in Zathura: A Space Adventure . In 2023, he starred in the PG-13 sleeper hit horror movie Five Nights at Freddy 's as Mike Schmidt.

Michael Caine As Alexander Anderson

Legendary actor Michael Caine plays Alexander Anderson, Sean's adventurous grandfather, in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island . Alexander, a Vernian (follower of Jules Verne's works), is the reason behind the expedition to the Mysterious Island. His character is eccentric, full of wisdom, and embodies the spirit of exploration. Caine's portrayal brings a sense of gravitas and charm to the film, serving as a mentor figure to the younger characters while engaging in the adventure with youthful vigor.

Michael Caine's illustrious career spans several decades, with iconic roles such as Charlie in the classic British crime caper The Italian Job , the titular character in the '60s drama Alfie , and Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. His remarkable versatility and distinctive Cockney accent have made him one of the most respected and beloved actors in cinema. Caine's ability to adapt to various genres, from drama to comedy, has earned him numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards. His latest film, 2023's The Great Escaper, marks the last film of his career after Caine announced his retirement .

Luis Guzmán As Gabato

Luis Guzmán portrays Gabato, the comical and kind-hearted helicopter pilot who helps the group reach the Mysterious Island. Typical of Guzmán's usual roles, his character adds a humorous and relatable touch to the film, often providing comic relief amidst the thrilling action. However, Gabato's concern for his daughter, Kailani, and his willingness to embark on the dangerous journey for her sake, adds emotional depth to his role.

Luis Guzmán is known for his character roles, often playing likable, down-to-earth characters in both film and television. The actor has two notable great working relationships in Hollywood. As a close friend of Adam Sandler , Guzmán has featured alongside the comedian in Anger Management, Sandy Wexler, The Do-Over , and others. The actor is also close to celebrated filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson , with appearances in Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love (also starring Sandler). In television, Guzmán gained acclaim for his portrayal of patriarch Gomez Addams on Wednesday .

Vanessa Hudgens As Kailani

Vanessa Hudgens plays Kailani, Gabato's determined and courageous daughter, who joins the quest to find the Mysterious Island. Her character is strong-willed, resourceful, and serves as a romantic interest for Sean. Kailani's adventurous spirit and bravery make her a key member of the expedition team, and Hudgens' performance brings a sense of determination and charm to the role. Hudgens rose to fame with her role as Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical series , a role that made her a teen idol. Since then, she has diversified her career with roles in films like Spring Breakers and Tick, Tick... Boom!

Kristin Davis As Liz Anderson-Parsons

Kristin Davis portrays Liz Anderson-Parsons, Sean's caring and concerned mother, who reluctantly allows him to search for his grandfather in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island . Her character, while not central to the island's adventure, plays a crucial role in the emotional backdrop of the story, representing the family ties and concerns back home.

Davis is best known for her role as Charlotte York in Sex and the City , which earned her widespread recognition. She notably returned to the role of Charlotte in the Max revival series And Just Like That.. for two seasons with And Just Like That... season 3 in development.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, and YouTube.

Top Indian Star Katrina Kaif Recounts Her Cinematic Journey: ‘Film Would Become My Entire Life’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

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The times are changing across Indian cinema and Katrina Kaif , one of the top stars of the country, is changing with them.

The top 10 Indian films in the post-pandemic year 2023 were all star-driven blockbusters and Kaif was in the mix with Bollywood action extravaganza “ Tiger 3 ,” the latest in Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, where she starred alongside Salman Khan. 2024 has seen a paradigm shift in that, with five of the top 10 films being what are known locally as “content films,” where a strong storyline takes precedence over spectacle.

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“I was in love with the book. I was just like, ‘Wow,’ I mean, it was everything you wanted in this space. It was tender, poetic, it had that very mysterious Hitchcockian quality to it. It had drama, it had mystery, it had murder, it had everything in the most unique and novel way,” Kaif told Variety over a zoom call from Mumbai.

With six sisters scattered around the globe and her mother running a school for underprivileged children in southern India, Kaif had a peripatetic childhood. At the age of 18, she became a model in India and was soon rubbing shoulders with the best in the business. Films inevitably followed. Her acting debut, 2003 crime thriller “Boom,” was a critical and commercial disaster despite the presence of Bollywood heavyweights Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff. It is clear that Kaif has expunged the film from her memory. When asked to recount her cinematic journey Kaif says: “I think my first foray was in a South Indian film, a Telugu film actually [2004 romcom “Malliswari” where she plays the titular role of a wealthy heiress]. And from there, I started getting on-camera experience and then working my way slowly, meeting directors, producers. I felt that I had done what I wanted to do in the modeling industry, I felt ‘okay, I’ve understood the scene.’ I had a few targets and goals and I’d achieved those. And for me, my desire and my heart was in the movies.”

Upon the suggestion of filmmaker Dharmesh Darshan, Kaif, who is now known for her exceptional dancing skills, underwent intense training under the late guru Veeru Krishnan, who was an exponent of the Kathak dance form. “Dance is one thing, but I feel like Kathak is about expression. It’s about a feeling, it’s about expressing yourself through music. And that, for me was my foundation for movies,” Kaif says. “It was about understanding the emotion and the language of cinema. I was almost quiet, a little timid, very naive, I wasn’t sure of my identity in terms of what was my voice, my expression as a girl, as a woman. I was very young. So, I think that really helped me find my voice.”

Kaif also benefited from the sage advise of co-star Anil Kapoor (“Slumdog Millionaire”) on the sets of “Humko Deewana Kar Gaye” (2006) who told her to get into the headspace of the scene they were about to perform, rather than walking back and forth. “Having been surrounded by thespians, I was like a sponge, I was very eager to learn, and very open, I was not a person who ever had any airs or preconceived notions,” Kaif says.

Significant success followed. Kaif counts drama-romance “Namastey London” (2007) and comedies “Welcome” (2007) and “Singh Is King” (2008) among the highlights of her early career. Thriller “New York” (2009) was a turning point, Kaif says. The actor also lists comedy “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” (2009), political drama “Rajneeti” (2010) and coming-of-age film “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” (2011) as her standout films of that time.

The next chapter in Kaif’s journey featured big-budget high octane action films, including “Ek Tha Tiger” (2012) that kicked off the immensely successful spy universe, “Dhoom 3” (2013) and “Bang Bang” (2014). “I was doing exactly what I wanted to do. These were the filmmakers I wanted to work with,” Kaif says. Kaif’s love affair with dance also continued, with her being actively involved in the choreography. The actor also rates her work in action-adventure “Jagga Jasoos” (2017), drama “Zero” (2018) and cop film “Sooryavanshi” (2021), which was the first major Bollywood theatrical release post-COVID.

Meanwhile, the spy universe continued with “Tiger Zinda Hai” (2017) and “Ek Tha Tiger” (2023). A sequence set in a hammam (Turkish bath) is a particular highlight for the actor. “For me dance and action are similar in that sense – I need to be in there, I have to execute it,” Kaif says, adding that she rarely uses stunt doubles. The hammam sequence is a case in point where Kaif executed all the action herself as her double came down with COVID-19.

Kaif’s train of thought is interrupted as her phone rings. It’s her husband, the actor Vicky Kaushal . She’ll call him back later. Kaushal is also a perfect example of a changing Bollywood where the story can take precedence over spectacle. His 2023 filmography includes an extended appearance in top 10 hit, immigration drama “Dunki,” playing the lead in military hero biopic “Sam Bahadur” and headlining small-town romcom “Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.”

In 2023, the Indian film industry grew 14% to reach a value of $2.3 billion, within which theatrical revenues reached an all-time high of $1.4 billion. The number of screens grew 4% and fewer films released directly on digital platforms. Kaif’s current trajectory mirrors that growth.

“I’ve always put the audiences first and have tried to with my choices throughout my career. And now I think it’s about finding a balance, what story do I feel is going to connect with the audience? And what do I connect to personally and as an actor right now? What’s going to give me growth? What’s going to give me satisfaction? This is just exactly what I want to be doing right now,” Kaif says.

The West came calling recently, but circumstances at the time meant that Kaif had to turn the offer down. “I do believe it will happen, and I think that will be a whole new leaf in my book, so to speak, and really exciting,” Kaif says.

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Festival in Focus: Saudi Film Festival Master Of Ceremonies Mohammed Elshehri Talks Journey From MC To Film & TV Fame

By Melanie Goodfellow

Melanie Goodfellow

Senior International Film Correspondent

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Actor Mohammed Elshehri belongs to a generation of emerging Saudi talents who first cut their teeth on YouTube and are now making their names in film and TV.

The rising star will be master of ceremonies at the upcoming Saudi Film Festival in the Eastern Province city of Dhahran, which will be celebrating its 10th edition from from May 2 to 9.

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Elshehri’s master of ceremonies role takes him back an earlier time in his career, as a TV and event presenter.

This work grew out of YouTube show Trailer , which he created around 2014, after coming to the conclusion he would never achieve his dream of becoming an actor on mainstream TV. “I felt there was no chance I was ever going to get a role as an unknown,” he recounts. “I decided to stop being an actor and to do something around it instead. It was kind of Jimmy Kimmel style. It wasn’t criticism, it was more recommendations with a light, funny tone. I did three seasons.”

The second season caught Netflix’s eye and they started working with Elshehri to promote their shows in the region, even inviting him to the set of Spanish crime thriller Money Heist .

This work came to an abrupt end with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but Elshehri says he was not too disheartened as he already wanted to move on.

“I saw it as a sign that it was time for me to stop,” he says.

Shortly after, he secured a supporting role in The Fates Hotel , an original series created for MBC platform Shahid.

The hit crime drama revolved around the illicit goings-on in a dilapidated hotel located on the outskirts of the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

“It was good for me because it showed people that I was an actor and not just a host,” he says.

Within a year, he had been approached for roles in Khalid Fahad’s 2022 feature Valley Road and Road Trip , which was developed to run in a primetime slot over the Ramadan religious period.

“Everyone in the Arab region is watching TV when they break their fast. It wasn’t easy as an unknown actor,” he says.

“It’s a different experience from being on a show on a platform… On public TV, everyone watches and if they don’t like it, they’ll say it on the social networks… shows come under attack. But we felt we had something and with second season it went boom.”

Elshehri suggests the show’s success is due in part to the fact that Saudi audiences identify closely with the three fraternal protagonists.

“When I’m walking in the street. People come up to me all the time and say my character reminds them of cousin or a brother,” he says.

With the third season over with the end of Ramadan, Elshehri has yet to learn whether a fourth season will be greenlit. He suggests it is a format has more mileage in it yet.

In the meantime, he is in throes of negotiating a new role in a Saudi feature that is due to shoot in September.

Ahead of his Saudi Film Festival appeareance, he says it is a must-attend event for people in the burgeoning local film industry.

“We love this festival. It’s where we meet our family. The director Ahmed Amulla is one of a kind. He’s so humble. He is trying to help everyone. I know so many talented people who have found themselves at this festival.”

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Zack Snyder Unveils Conclusion to Superman's Journey in His DCEU Vision

• Superman's storyline in Zack Snyder's Justice League sequel was set to end in a battle against Darkseid to restore hope.
• Darkseid lays waste to Earth in Snyder's vision, creating a bleak future where Superman battles to save humanity.
• Snyder's planned sequels would have wrapped up Superman's story arc, similar to the epic conclusion in Marvel's Infinity War saga.

Justice League director Zack Snyder has opened up about how Superman’s story would have concluded in his final film for DCEU. Fans were left longing to witness Henry Cavill's Man of Steel reclaim his role as Earth's guardian post the events of Zack Snyder's Justice League . The unanswered question of how this iconic character would have restored hope and made a difference continues to captivate everyone's imagination.

At the end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League , fans get to see that Darkseid and his forces have laid waste to Earth. But there’s still hope because a resistance group consisting of some superheroes and villains is trying to make things right. However, there’s no Superman and at the end of this nightmare, fans get to know why Clark Kent is not on their side. The ending promised that Superman would have to crawl his way back to reality and fight Darkseid. But that couldn’t happen. Now, in a recent interview, Snyder has finally broken his silence on how Superman would return to humanity in his planned sequels.

Zack Snyder Has A Blunt Response For Those Wanting Him Back In DC Universe

Speaking in an interview with GQ , Snyder noted that he had plans regarding what could have happened in the future Justice League movies. In the conversation, the filmmaker also noted that fans would have gotten a chance to see the battle between Superman and his arch-nemesis, Darkseid. Snyder said, “He (Superman) was going to have to succumb to the Anti-life, be destroyed, turn the clock back, and then get his chance for this battle against Darkseid that would have finished his trilogy of becoming this guardian, and sort of, return him to his humanity.”

In Snyder's envisioned clash between Darkseid and the Justice League, Superman was slated to fall into Darkseid's might, plunging the world into the bleak Knightmare future foreseen by Bruce Wayne. However, amidst the despair, Superman would ultimately discover a means to reverse the course of fate, triumphing over Darkseid and eradicating the looming apocalypse. Although it would have been amazing to see two giant forces of nature going against each other, the conclusion would have looked similar to the ending of Marvel’s Infinity War saga . In Infinity War , the Avengers fight Thanos and his forces so that the Mad Titan never gets hold of all the Infinity Stones. However, the superheroes lost and Thanos killed half of Earth’s population with a simple snap of his fingers. Eventually, the superheroes would develop a technique to bring back the fallen heroes and fight the ultimate battle in Avengers: Endgame .

Even though the ending of Endgame turned out to be really emotional, it served as a perfect ending to the Infinity War saga. But that doesn’t mean the same formula would also have worked for Snyderverse. Fans would have drawn comparisons to both conclusions and there would have been endless debates on which production giant did it better. Regardless, fans of Snyder's work eagerly anticipated the filmmaker's long-awaited conclusion to his series of feature films. It’s highly unlikely that James Gunn would contact Snyder to direct any movie in the upcoming slate of movies in the DC Universe , but his fandom would surely want to see more superhero stuff from the filmmaker. Currently, Snyder is busy promoting his latest movie Rebel Moon – Part Two: Scargiver, which has opened to negative reviews from critics as well as audiences.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is available for streaming on HBO Max.

Zack Snyder's Justice League: 10 Important Differences Compared To The Original Movie

Dune: Part Two

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Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 27 (ANI): Hit Malayalam drama ‘Manjummel Boys’ will be released soon on OTT.

The film will start its digital journey from May 5 on Disney+ Hotstar.

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Disney+ Hotstar (@disneyplushotstar)

Directed by Chidambaram, ‘Manjummel Boys’ also stars Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese and Ganapathi amongst others.

Excited about the film’s release on OTT, director and writer of ‘Manjummel Boys’, Chidambaram said, “I am truly overwhelmed by the response Manjummel Boys has received. We set out to create a film that resonates universally going beyond all language barriers, and witnessing its connection with audiences across India is immensely gratifying. Now associating with Disney+ Hotstar to take the movie accessible for audience across the country in their preferred language is an absolute pleasure and hope the audience embraces it with the same love and excitement.”

Drawing inspiration from true events, it portrays the tale of a group of friends who encounter a misfortune during their vacation at the Guna caves in 2006. At the box office, the film reportedly raked in more than Rs 200 crore globally. It was released in theatres in February this year. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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