Director and producer Lydia Smith’s feature documentary Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago recently ended an eight month, 60-city national road tour, screening in 149 separate venues in 139 different cities, including 22 film festivals. The film, which was released on DVD last week, is currently in contention against 133 other feature documentaries to make the shortlist for Academy Awards consideration.
For centuries, people have traveled to northern Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago as a religious pilgrimage in search of personal development and spiritual self-enlightenment. It is no small undertaking and yet in 2010 alone, over 270,000 people attempted this arduous 500-mile long trek across beautiful and rugged terrain.
The film captures the trials and tribulations of group of modern pilgrims who decide to walk the ancient path. The cast of people featured in the film run the gamut of ages (from age 3 to 73), as well as nationalities and religious backgrounds.
Smith, who walked the trail herself in 2008, logged over 8,000 miles traveling the U.S. from venue to venue to promote the film, and was available in person at 62 on-stage appearances including screenings and film festivals.
