Favorite Road Film
My favorite road film is Diarios de Motocicleta, or The Motorcycle Diaries. I saw it during a Spanish course last year, and the film has been one of my favorites since.
There are many reasons I was drawn to this movie, but I think the driving factor was the realization the main characters came to regarding culture and serious needs of so many people who are less fortunate. Two college guys were simply looking for fun and adventure, touring the country before graduation. On their trip, they found something so much more profound that a great majority of the world has never been exposed to; something they didn't expect to find.
From region to region, these men were immersed in different cultures and getting an experience they would never imagine from their upbringing, and finding things that education leaves out. They encountered personal stories that never get exposure, and through it all, something more important was pounding at their door. The main characters experienced an entire continent full of underprivileged citizens living in poverty, people with ailments and no means to get help. Entire regions were in dire need of anything they could offer, and through their journey, these two men each realized what their call in life was.
I'll stop myself before this gets too long. But I absolutely loved this film, and have been trying to convince any of my friends to buy a beater motorcycle with me and road trip through the country.