Saturday, January 10, 2009

The Grand Tour – An Overview

What:
A documentary that retraces the two-year long voyage through the Americas of the 1850's of my Swiss Great-Great-Grandfather, Henri de Buren, a trained naturalist and explorer.

How:
“The Grand Tour” will be shot in a style that is
immersive and allows the audience to get a feeling for the cultures that I will be visiting as well as focusing on the natural beauty in the Americas that Henri left Switzerland to experience. In addition there will be narration from Henri’s original journal and letters, display of his original artwork, and interviews with historical and cultural scholars.

Where:
The documentary will retrace his entire route from its beginnings in Switzerland, to destinations in the U.S., Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Peru & Brazil.

Broader Context:
Henri travelled at an important time in history and met very influential people in Science and Commerce along his journey. The documentary through narration and interviews would provide historical context that would set the stage to discuss how the societies, cultures and environment in the Americas have changed over the past 150 years.


Personal Angle:
While the documentary will focus on retracing events, it is first and foremost about personal discovery and a search for self. Through passages and personal narrative, I will attempt to gain an understanding of and appreciation for who Henri was, what he believed, what he valued most, and if we share anything besides our family name.

1 comment:

  1. JF, this sounds so wonderful! I wish you good luck in finding the $$ and planning a great trip!!
    Crossing my fingers for you.

    ReplyDelete

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