The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.

LONG WAY ROUND (2004-2010)

Run Time: TV Mini Series
Creators: David Alexanian, Charley Boorman, Russ Malkin
Key Cast: Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, David Alexanian

FILM MAKERS

Long Way Round is a documentary documenting the 19,000-mile (31,000 km) journey. McGregor and Charley Boorman embark on a grueling quest to motorbike from London to New York. Going east through Europe, Asia and then to Alaska, they experience different cultures and have to overcome the elements and adversity.

SUMMARY

From 14 April 2004 to 29 July 2004, McGregor, Boorman, motorcycle riding cameraman Claudio von Planta and their support crew traveled from London to New York, via Western and Central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia and Canada, for a cumulative distance of 18,887 miles (30,396 km). The only sections of the trip not undertaken by motorcycle were 580 miles (930 km) by train in Siberia, which circumvented the Zilov Gap; a short impassable section towards the end of their Russian journey, which was undertaken by truck; and a 2,505-mile (4,031 km) flight from Magadan in eastern Russia to Anchorage, Alaska.

Upon encountering numerous swollen rivers and a serious lack of functioning bridges while traveling along the Road of Bones to Magadan, the riders got their BMW motorbikes through some fairly deep rivers. However, the summer run-off from the Siberian winter was in full flow and after a valiant effort, the bikes eventually had to be loaded into the trucks of passing drivers and ferried across a few of the deepest rivers.

The journey visited twelve countries, starting in the UK, then passing through France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, USA and Canada, ending in New York. The team mainly stayed in hotels while traveling in Europe, North America and populated parts of Russia but frequently had no option but to camp after reaching Kazakhstan and Mongolia. They took time to visit a variety of sights and landmarks while traveling, including the Church of Bones in the Czech Republic, the Mask of Sorrow monument in Magadan, Russia and Mount Rushmore in the USA. They ultimately arrived in New York on schedule and rode into the city accompanied by a phalanx of bikers, including McGregor’s father Jim and the Orange County Choppers crew.

RELATED MEDIA

Watch Long Way Round on Apple TV+

 

 

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