The Amazing Adventures of an American Filmmaker Traveling to Africa (featuring Matt Kresling's "Madagascar Journals")

As travelers we are interested in genuine experiences, not in superficial reports that paint a predetermined narrative. We wonder: What stereotypes have merit? Is anything we hear about Africa actually true? What is it really like over there?

Earth is huge and the variety of human lifestyles we can find in places abroad is mind-boggling. Learning about other cultures can act as a great mirror for our own cultural assumptions that go largely unnoticed within our intertwined post-industrial societies.

And while documentaries can never be a replacement for an actual journey into the unknown, some filmmakers have come exceptionally close to making us feel like we are on the journey with them, rather than watching some artificial narrative put together by an impersonal film studio with an agenda.

This is the love-infused story of one American dude deciding to go to Madagascar and to share his experiences with the world in a engaging and heartfelt manner.

An intimate and enlightening journey

In his 8-part series, we live the ups and downs of being a foreigner in a world that seems hard to understand from a Western perspective.

We feel the sadness when things don't go according to plan and when hopes and expectations are crushed against all efforts. We are there when magical opportunities open up and the journey continues on a positive turn of events. We meet many Africans giving us great insight into the cultures that live in the Southern parts of Africa and how the people there live, think and feel.

We stumble upon hilarious WTF-moments that seem almost impossible within our own cultures back home. We learn how history has shaped the continent and societies in Africa, and many times we are reminded of our own cultural baggage through the situations Matt finds himself in, ranging from surprise to despair to happiness and everything in between.

The degree of love and devotion Matt has put into this elaborate project is unparalleled, the video series is filled with artistic sketches, music, commentary and philosophic rants about life and society at large, inspired by real and live experiences on the road less traveled.

As a professional filmmaker Matt doesn't only show great skill in delivering his experiences to us in an intimate way, he also comments on his experiences from an American frame of mind which is exceptionally interesting to consider in light of all the memorable experiences he captures.

Portioned adventures

Completing this documentary series has taken Matt years, as he was not willing to compromise on quality, but instead chose to set the bar high from the beginning and to deliver his experiences on the road in a timeless format over 8 parts.

If you are a filmmaker (looking at you @vincentnijman) I could imagine that this video-series can greatly uplift and inspire you to continue your work of making movies and telling stories that move you from a perspective that is uniquely your own.

The series was originally recommended to me by a good friend, and since Matt has officially finished it with his final episode a few weeks ago I felt it was time to share his amazing work with you all. If you consider going to Africa, if you long to travel but for some reason can't at the moment or if you want to take a short break from your own culture and day-to-day mania - this series will get you close to being abroad without actually going there yourself ;)
The series is still somewhat of a hidden gem, so it's my pleasure to share it with you all today.

If you want to get an impression of what you are getting into, watch this heartfelt trailer for Matt's series here:

If you want to dive into the series right away, start with part 1:

In summary: A brilliant and genuine film-series that I recommend to anyone capable of the English language and a taste for novel experiences on the road.

Matt, I have learnt so much about humanity and my own culture just watching these stages of your journey unfold and relating them to my own.

_{All images taken from the "Madagascar Journals" series}

Thanks for stopping by <3