By: Alex Bahamon, Master of International Development, LaTrobe University
Recently, I watched one of the most popular movies in Australia, The Road to Patagonia. It was a fascinating film because it offers a unique perspective on the American continent, or ‘Abya Yala’ as the Indigenous communities of the continent call it. The way the director and protagonist, Matty Hannon, portrays this vast continent in a simple manner is compelling, and the journey he shares with his partner, Heather Hillier, leads to thought-provoking conclusions. Still, there are troubling aspects from a development studies pedagogy perspective. Below is the synopsis of the movie from the official website for those who haven’t seen it, as the tone and language used by the filmmakers and their team is useful for understanding what is to come.
The Road to Patagonia is a stunning, intimate and unflinching series of love letters within a documentary – firstly a love between two people, and secondly between humanity and the Earth. We follow Matty Hannon on an incredible solo adventure, to surf the west coast of the Americas by motorbike, from the top of Alaska to the tip of Patagonia. But deep in the wilderness – alone with the wolves and the bears – the journeyer’s plans unexpectedly fall to pieces. After losing everything, and on the cusp of quitting he meets the girl of his dreams, a permaculture farmer named Heather Hillier who throws caution to the wind and sells her urban-farm to buy a bike of her own. Together riding south, the duo meet with Zapatista rebels, Amazonian shamans and Mapuche leaders whose salient words crack the adventurers’ cultural veneer, leaving them with existential questions. The 50,000km surfing odyssey becomes beautifully complicated by their decision to downshift from motorcycles to horseback, presenting a relational approach to the breathtaking landscapes and a host of challenges that ultimately become extremely rewarding. Hannon and Hillier succeed in capturing deeply human moments during the world-first expedition, and the noticeable lack of camera-crew becomes The Road to Patagonia’s strength. The theme of deep ecology underpins the entire film, visually communicated through exquisite cinematography and emotional verité sequences. Shot over 16 years, the result is an adventurous exposé on the more-than-human world, offering a physical and spiritual odyssey to better understand our place in Nature (The Road to Patagonia, 2024).
Hannon and Hillier are acutely aware of how the planet is deteriorating faster than it is recovering, how colonialism has dispossessed Indigenous communities of their lands and traditions, and how Western societies are focused on consumption beyond any limit. This is clear in the interviews and some of Hannon’s reflections throughout the film. For instance, when they listened to the Mapuche in Chile, they explained how the current economic and political system is destroying their way of life, and threatening their land and freedom — this is a particularly powerful moment in the movie. It is worth acknowledging how Hannon and Hillier offered a valuable platform for Indigenous people in the Mentawai Islands, Alaska, Guatemala, and Chile to be heard in Australia, highlighting the impact the state of the world has on their lives.
Still, I came away thinking that Hannon does not genuinely care about the knowledge shared with him. In his attempt to live a more ‘nature-based life,’ he reproduces exploitative practices, such as exoticizing Indigenous communities, using living beings as tools (and being shocked when they resist exploitation), and replicating gender roles and consumerism. Throughout his journey, he replicated many behaviours of the society he comes from that have contributed to the state of the world.
Hannon and Hillier fail to show respect for the cultures they visit, especially Hannon in the early part of the film, when he reflects on his time in an Indigenous community. Hannon engages in ‘exoticism,’ viewing Indigenous cultures as unfamiliar and intriguing, a perspective tied to colonial attitudes (Workneh, 2020). When introducing his journey, he unconsciously compares other cultures to his own, using a problematic lens that positions his dominant culture as the standard, the normal. Throughout the movie, Indigenous voices are heard but always in contrast to Hannon’s culture, reinforcing a divisive ‘us’ versus ‘the other’ narrative that is epistemologically harmful (Escobar, 2003).
Hannon criticises Western culture for its focus on consumption and distancing humans from nature, yet contradicts this through his own practices. He continues surfing, relying on fossil-fuel transportation and using horses to carry his gear. When his motorbike was stolen in Mexico, his reflections centred on the loss of his belongings, ignoring the underlying social conditions that contribute to insecurity, such as global power imbalances and consumerism. His focus remained on material possessions rather than on the well-being of people or animals.
Hannon’s relational approach to Heather Hillier is problematic. While Hillier was willing to sacrifice her life, including selling her farm, to support Hannon, he did not reciprocate by altering his life to maintain their relationship, revealing a power imbalance. Hannon only showed genuine concern for the horses’ well-being when he was about to sell them, whereas Hillier consistently cared for them, especially the eldest. Hannon’s decision to cancel the sale of the horses, prompted by concerns about their fate, coincided with Hillier’s imminent departure, leading her to stay longer under the pretence of the horses’ well-being. Later, when Hillier indicated she had already paid for her return flight, Hannon’s manipulation of both financial concerns and the horses’ well-being to his advantage highlighted a pattern of exploitative behaviour and control, reflecting broader issues of masculinity and power dynamics.
Hannon fails to recognise his privilege and responsibility in the world, replicating exploitative patterns and showing inconsistency between his decisions and his desire for a ‘nature-based’ life. His reaction when his motorbike was stolen in Mexico highlights his lack of understanding. Like many from the Global North, Hannon is surprised by the imperfections of Global South countries, yet benefits from the ability to travel and work globally without acknowledging his privilege. While Hannon and Hillier aim to live in harmony with the environment, their continued engagement in exploitative practices undermines this goal. True harmony requires deeper commitment and re-evaluation.
This film could be useful for development studies scholars as it shows the approach of Global North actors toward the Global South. It illustrates too how behaviours and personal attitudes can perpetuate and entrench colonial and violent structures. It is crucial to recognise that personal issues are also political, as they shape the reality in which we operate. Identities and structures are mutually formed (Adler, 1997). Personal space is a dynamic area where the future is open, and to envision better futures, it is essential to create safe personal spaces for ourselves and everyone we engage with, while acknowledging and addressing structural power imbalances. Development without safe and solidarity-focused personal relational approaches is just more of the same.
References:
Adler, E. (1997). Seizing the Middle Ground: Constructivism in World Politics. European journal of international relations, 3(3), 319-363. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354066197003003003
Escobar, A. (2003). Displacement, development, and modernity in the Colombian Pacific. International social science journal, 55(175), 157-167. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2451.5501015
The Road to Patagonia (2024) Synopsis: The Road to Patagonia, https://theroadtopatagonia.com/about/
Workneh, T (2020) Exotica Africana: interrogating African otherness in Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, Popular Communication, 18(2), pp 121-137, https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2019.1637524