Road to Patagonia returns for encore Byron screening

A SMALL film about an enormous journey is proving an enduring success, with Road to Patagonia screening yet another encore in Byron on February 14.

The surfing odyssey documentary has sold out continuously since its premiere a year ago at the Byron Bay International Film Festival.

The self-financed film was the highest-grossing documentary of 2024 in Australia and New Zealand and is still screening. The labour of love has become a juggernaut.

Filmmaker Matty Hannon was on his way to Nymboida for a kayaking trip with two small children asleep in the back of the car when he chatted with this masthead. He remains amazed at the success of the film.

“I remember wanting to sell out the theatre, just once – that was my goal,” Hannon said.

“The response has been mind-blowing and a bit overwhelming, Shot in dozens of countries over two-and-a-half years, the film traces Hannon’s odyssey from Alaska to Patagonia, intending to surf his way down the coastline of the Americas.

From meeting his wife Heather Hillier early on the journey, switching from motorbikes to horses, and documenting their extraordinary adventure with basic equipment, the love letter it poses to the world is a triumph.

Hannon’s 10-year film journey began when he was suffering anxiety and depression in Melbourne, with a Master’s in documentary making from RMIT in his pocket.

“I set off to Alaska on a cathartic mission to try and find myself again. I was really lost,” he said.

“I loved surfing and nature, so I decided to make a big old trip.

I had no idea what I would make in my mind.”

Hannon said funding the lengthy and expensive post-production process was a combination of lifestyle choices.

“Byron was the perfect place to settle in and edit the film,” he said.

“We landed on our feet at the Hayters Hill farm and lived there for four years in a woofer-style arrangement.

“They were so generous, and we lived a real Byron experience in an old, rusty caravan with a tin roof off the front. It was beautiful. It was so rootsy and pure, and it informed much of the storytelling in the editing process.”

The little film that could has cut through, with its intimate portrayal of human relationships and of humans with their world.

“I think people can see its honesty,” Hannon said.

“We didn’t have fancy cameras or crews or scripting, and people can see it’s genuine and raw and honest, and that’s very relatable.

“The themes are timely and relevant, from contemporary spirituality to who we are as humans.

“It’s a warts-and-all exposé on what it feels like to dive into the world,” he said.

For tickets, head to byroncentre.com.au/theatre-events/the-road-to-patagonia—encore