Every year, around 70,000 pilgrims hike the Camino de Santiago, an ancient road leading to Santiago de Compestela, Spain. For many, it is a religious journey. Catholics believe it to be the burial ground of Saint James and that making the long trek can minimize time spent in purgatory. And the road has spiritual significance in both the Wicca and Islam faith.
According to Wake Forest Senior Lauren Martinez, there are as many reasons for hiking the Camino as there are pilgrims hitting the trail. For her, the hike has been a dream since childhood, when a Spanish teacher first told her about the 490 mile trek.
“It was a dream that I just filed in the back of my head,” she says.
For those of you lucky enough to know this lovely, vivacious photographer, the realization of her Camino dream should come as no surprise. Lauren’s ambitions and passions have taken her and her camera to many corners of the world, and opened the door to some pretty amazing experiences, and hiking the Camino de Santiago will be no exception. This summer, Lauren will not only make the hike, she will also be documenting it in a major way.
A few summers ago, Lauren met a friend from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The two quickly realized they shared a dream: hiking the Camino. Although it seemed like a long shot at the time, they got to work on recruiting a group of film students to make their vision a reality. Together with the group, Lauren will be hiking the trail and making a documentary film about their travels and encounters.
The crew is taking the working title of their film, “Travel Light”, literally– they are carrying all their belongings for two months, along with all their camera equipment, only on their backs! The trip is a time to lay down their burdens and find a sense of enlightenment, and the film’s title speaks to that.
“I see the trip along the Camino de Santiago as an opportunity for some self-discovery after college,” Lauren says. “I hope it will teach me to make peace the new normal, because we need enough money to live, but if we aren’t living – what does that money do?”
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The hike will be the perfect time to find some peace and quiet and escape from all of the stresses of the outside world. On the trail, the crew of “Travel Light” expects to meet different pilgrims from all walks of life, each with their own story. Ideally, they will interview them at the beginning of the trip and again at the end, giving each person disposable cameras to document their personal adventures along the way. The cameras will be collected at the end of the journey, and the photos will be used in the film.
Of course, the journey won’t be without its challenges– the crew plans to hike twenty miles a day for two months. The days will be long, but for an experienced backpacker like Lauren, it’s nothing she can’t handle.
“The real challenge will be just being a pilgrim,” she says. “It will be a journey of self-discovery caught on film.”
The film is set to enter post-production sometime in September. Lauren and her crew are hoping to have it available for DVD and download (for those who donate) sometime after that. Ideally, the movie will be ready to enter the festival circuit in January – hopefully including the Reynolda film festival!
For more information on Lauren, the film, and the Camino de Santiago, visit: travelightfilm.com. If you are interested in donating, just click the “Sponsors” link at the top of the webpage. There is a one dollar minimum for donations and every penny will go towards supporting Lauren and the production of this amazing documentary!
*Photography by Karleigh Ash