Interview with Filmmaker & Ecologist Matty Hannon
Matty Hannon.
Matty Hannon’s debut feature documentary The Road to Patagonia chronicles a 16-year long odyssey from Alaska to Patagonia, weaving a tale of personal growth in the face of ecological awareness.
Links: theroadtopatagonia.com | @matty_hannon
Hey Matty, could you share a childhood adventure (big or small) and then share what was learnt along the way?
Matty: My Mum and Dad moved our whole family over to Indonesia when we were kids, that was an amazing experience. We lived in the thick of Jakarta and I saw a lot of extreme poverty in the slums and the markets there. It taught me how privileged I was, and showed me how hard some people have it in life - it rattled my little world at that early age. I ended up returning to Indonesia in my early 20’s, and that’s the part that makes the film.
The film spans an incredible 16 years and covers a vast 50,000 km journey, capturing not only the physical adventure but also the emotional highs and lows shared with your partner Heather. How did you decide which moments to include in the final cut? That was definitely one of the hardest parts of the filmmaking process, especially because I hadn’t set out on the expedition with a central question to guide the narrative - it was ‘flying by the seat of your pants’ filmmaking. Just going out into the unknown to see what would unveil itself.
It was only after everything was shot, going through the interviews, and realising that all this old footage that I had lying around from animist Sumatra was the key to unlocking the central themes of the film that I’d shot through the Americas. Up until then I’d never thought to include the Sumatran footage.
We had a couple of narratives, one about 2 people on a wild adventure, while the second narrative was more of a multicultural enquiry into globalisation and cosmology. Once we’d figured out what those 2 narratives were, it was easy to cull the footage, because anything that didn't relate to those stories was deleted.
The Road to Patagonia.
What were some of the biggest technical or environmental challenges during filming in
remote areas?
I think during filming, the pure exhaustion of that style of production was the hardest challenge - especially once we were on the horses. Everything we owned was carried on the horses or our bodies - we had no support or camera crew at any point. Trekking through challenging terrain with 4 horses for months on end is quite tiring in itself, but it doubles in energy output when you are filming it and living out of tents. Most of our gear was budget equipment that we sourced as cheaply as possible, so it was always breaking.
But having said that, for the same reasons as above, the whole experience felt very real and pure. There were times where Heather and I argued, and the main culprit of that tension was probably the filmmaking process. I was determined (especially towards the end when I knew we had a story), probably too determined in a way, and maybe I ruined a couple of moments that could’ve been beautiful by not enjoying them for what they were, choosing instead to film them.
On the flipside of that, the filmmaking process gave a sense of purpose to the trip, we weren’t aimlessly travelling, it led us to interview all sorts of inspiring people, and now with the benefit of hindsight, we’re both really glad that we put the effort in.
Matty Hannon.
As the film rolls out to UK audiences, what responses are you hoping for from this side of the world? Is there anywhere you’d like to explore in the UK?
I was born in Kent, England, and one whole side of my family is in Dublin, so there’s still a strong connection for me. When I was a young kid growing up in Australia, the school curriculum taught us that Captain Cook discovered Australia, and that England civilised it. Since then, there’s been a big push-back on that false-narrative, Australia now formally recognises how England stole the land from the First People, and conversations recently heightened to the point where I almost felt ashamed to be a white man with British heritage.
My film doesn't mention any of that, but what I do hope people take away from it is that the world is far more complex and nuanced than binary arguments of black and white. I wonder if people in the UK might look back into our deep history to see what kinds of cosmologies existed before Roman conquest, and what it might’ve meant to be deeply connected to the land. I also just hope UK audiences, when watching the film, feel a sense of love for the world, and hope that it stirs a little flame of adventure within them.
The Road to Patagonia.
What's grabbing your attention in the UK culture scene right now?
Living in Australia, I’m disconnected from the British Isles. But I do dream of visiting again, especially to Ireland. I’d love to chase some swells over there, as well as visit some of the down-shifting, rewilding farming movements happening over the British Isles. And the history. I’d love to go deep into where my ancestors came from…. Thanks for having me!
Check out the trailer for The Road to Patagonia below:
All photography by Matty Hannon/ The Road to Patagonia.
