Arukihenro – Walking Pilgrims

For a great number of people the main motive for undertaking a pilgrimage consists in the journey itself – wandering along a path leading away from the familiar place and at the same time leading towards oneself. This constant quest and the continuous enhancement of the daily experience, in whatsoever form, seem to be a central need of each human being. The road movie and documentary film “Arukihenro” focuses on this need in relation to the lives of today’s Japanese wandering pilgrims. It shows their motives, aims and desires on a very personal level along the 88 Temples’ Pilgrimage that circles the Japanese island of Shikoku. Directed by anthropologist Tommi Mendel, the film was shown at festivals throughout 2007 in France, Estonia, Norway, UK, Brazil, Serbia and Slovenia.