I caught this beautiful film as part of 2019's Pendle Social Cinema Film Festival. Wanderlust works brilliantly on a number of different levels: as a social travelogue, as a treatise on friendship (how comfortable would you be travelling the world with someone you barely know? Will there be a common bond?), as a study on what is to feel free (in terms of state laws and how our race or gender restricts our travel). Can a female ever be free to move without fear in a world that is male dominated and has a masculine gaze?
If I had one slight reservation it's that I don't think it needed the Agnes Varda-esque introspective voice over. If only because the images and emotions spoke for themselves. The fear and loneliness at times, the hateful prejudice, the fun of a life off the beaten track, the desire to be treated the same and take up space. Wanderlust shows us that no matter where we go there is still a long way to go in terms of equality. It'd be interesting to see what the two directors do next in their careers. Wanderlust though acts a filmic love letter to perseverance, trust and self discovery.
If I had one slight reservation it's that I don't think it needed the Agnes Varda-esque introspective voice over. If only because the images and emotions spoke for themselves. The fear and loneliness at times, the hateful prejudice, the fun of a life off the beaten track, the desire to be treated the same and take up space. Wanderlust shows us that no matter where we go there is still a long way to go in terms of equality. It'd be interesting to see what the two directors do next in their careers. Wanderlust though acts a filmic love letter to perseverance, trust and self discovery.
