We are so pleased to announce that The Devil’s Road has won Best Travel Documentary in the 5th Golden Gate International Film Festival!
Viewing entries tagged
expedition
The Devil’s Road director JT Bruce sits down (virtually) with Glendale International Film Festival’s Justin Smith to talk Baja California, documentary filmmaking, and all things The Devil’s Road.
The Devil’s Road will be showing in person at the Red Rock Film Festival in St. George, Utah!
November 12, 2020, 7:45 - 9:25 PM MST
Center for the Arts at Kayenta — Theater881 Coyote Gulch Ct, Ivins, UT 84738
PURCHASE TICKETS:
https://redrockfilmfestival.eventive.org/films/the-devil-s-road-a-baja-adventure-5f71cd4fbc0fd2005233048c
THE DEVIL’S ROAD: A BAJA ADVENTURE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED IN THE GLENDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2020
OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2020
Learn more about the festival here: https://www.glendaleinternationalfilmfestival.com/
The Devil's Road
AT THE VIRTUAL BIG BEAR FILM SUMMIT 2020
JUNE 12 - JULY 12
The Devil's Road: A Baja Adventure will be streaming for a limited time at the virtual Big Bear Film Festival. Passes are now on sale.
If you enjoy the film and would like to support it, please consider voting for it in the virtual festival! Audience members will get a chance to vote for their favorite films in each category.
Please feel free to share with friends and family!
Purchase Passes: https://bigbearfilmsummit2020.eventive.org/passes/buy
View Film Page: https://bigbearfilmsummit2020.eventive.org/films/the-devil-s-road-a-baja-adventure-5ebe2de7d0d86b00777f12e8
Front cover of the newly released booklet authored in part by The Devil’s Road producer Todd Bruce
Adventures of an Amateur Naturalist in Mexico: The Imperial Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Revisited
BY TODD BRUCE AND GEORGE B. WINTON
Buried deep within the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, a never-before-seen document was discovered by a team of film producers conducting research. This eight-page manuscript details the account of amateur naturalist and journalist George B. Winton, on expedition in the remote mountain ranges of Mexico’s interior.
Edward William Nelson and Edward Alphonso Goldman, two of America’s greatest naturalists, were dispatched to Mexico in January of 1892 under the employ of the U. S. Biological Survey. The pair’s assignment was to better understand this remote region of North America, providing studies on its flora and fauna and their corresponding geographical distribution. The findings of these field surveys were unprecedented, and would later be foundational to a conservation movement that helped solidify the work of conservationists like John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gifford Pinchot.
In October of 1892, Nelson and Goldman made a particularly important stop in Patzcuaro, Michoacan, where they were joined by George B. Winton for an expedition into the Nahuatzen mountain range. It was on this collecting trip that the group came across, for the first time, several individuals of the world’s largest woodpecker: the imperial ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis).
Winton’s written account excellently portrays the mindset of the naturalist in the late nineteenth century, and provides a rare, detailed record of the sighting and the behavior of this fascinating and relatively unknown bird.
Paperback: 28 pages
Publisher: Black Swift Press (September 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0991450398
Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.1 x 10 inches
Four Santa Cruz filmmakers set out to bring a historic expedition out of obscurity. The result was a feature-length historical-nature-adventure documentary called The Devil’s Road.
The Devil’s Road is a culmination of research, exploration, filming, and post-production work to revive the pivotal work of two of America’s most prolific naturalists: Edward William Nelson and Edward Alphonso Goldman. While these are not household names, their research laid the foundation of scientific studies in Baja and were viewed as a link between Darwin and present-day scientists.
Nelson and Goldman’s landmark expedition in 1905-1906 was unprecedented and completed in a time when the Baja Peninsula was considered one of the most remote and challenging areas in all of North America. They documented, cataloged, and obtained specimens of never-before-studied flora and fauna, all while trekking over two thousand miles on horseback. The pair made a number of significant scientific contributions to Baja’s natural history, and their expedition was the most thorough and complete studies of Baja’s ecosystems. They would later spend their careers heralded as some of the most adept naturalists of their time, with hundreds of plants, animals, and geographical features named in their honor.
It wasn’t just the early achievements of these two famed naturalists—though undeniably obscure outside of academic circles—that motivated the film crew. “It was only recently that, coincidentally enough, we learned our ‘Uncle Ed’ was the famed naturalist Edward Alphonso Goldman that worked with Edward William Nelson to explore the Baja Peninsula. I have been traveling around Baja with my family since 1990. We had no idea we had much deeper roots there,” explains Todd Bruce, the producer of The Devil’s Road, and the great grandnephew of Edward Goldman. “Baja has captivated us over the years. Nelson and Goldman’s accomplishments, coupled with our familial connection to this unique place, were driving forces behind creating the film.”
The team made a trip to the nation’s capital to pour through documents and glass plate negative photographs in the archives of the Smithsonian Institution. With latex gloves, they sifted through letters between President Theodore Roosevelt and Nelson, read field notes written over a hundred years ago by Goldman, and inspected century-old photo albums and specimens collected by the pair during their expedition. The film crew was also invited by the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco to film archived specimens of mammals and birds collected by Nelson and Goldman during their time in Baja.
The film's director, JT Bruce, and producer then set out on an expedition of their own, spending two months and covering over 5,000 miles of Baja desert and coastline to retrace Nelson and Goldman’s original expedition route on motorcycles.
The film documents their thrilling quest—by motorcycle, airplane, boat, and horseback—across the Baja Peninsula where, along the way, they observe the vibrant culture and unforgettable people, and endure the challenges of the road. The film includes interviews with biologists and conservationists that provide a reminder of how grueling the original expedition was and why Nelson and Goldman’s work was so fundamental, as well as offer insight into the precarious future of the fragile ecosystems of Baja—and beyond.
“Much like our predecessor that inspired the film, knowing Baja on a more intimate level makes it incumbent upon us to be stewards of such a unique corner of the world. By sharing it with viewers we hope to help make a case for its conservation,” says Bri Bruce, the film’s associate producer and UC Santa Cruz alumni. “Baja is truly a magical place. There’s really no other way to describe it. I think I speak for anyone that has been fortunate enough to really witness it—stand in its deserts, swim in its oceans, get to know both the animals and the people there—they’ll see it’s worth fighting for.”
“Baja is a biodiversity hotspot,” explains The Devil’s Road Scientific Advisor Greg Meyer. Meyer is an educator at California State University, Monterey Bay, and a professional naturalist who led his first trip to Baja in 1985. He has traveled extensively throughout the peninsula, working for the Oceanic Society, Lindblad Expeditions, National Geographic Expeditions, and the BBC. “The Baja Peninsula is still one of the great wildernesses on earth and this film project has allowed us to see the changes over time and to highlight why it needs protection today.”
JT Bruce, the film’s director, expands on the themes of The Devil’s Road:
“Our film is not just a historical documentary or motorcycle road movie. It's not a reprimand on the audience for some perceived failure to protect the environment. It's a chance to gain a wider perspective and view the trajectory that our planet's ecosystems are on, and to help people make their own decisions about how we should approach the future.”
The film shows a complex interplay between past and present, and weaves together themes of discovery and change while serving as an environmental call to arms that pays homage to the strange and awe-inspiring Baja California. In an exciting mix of history, nature, and exhilarating adventure, The Devil’s Road is sure to entertain, educate, and inspire.
The Broken Wagon Films team would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that our main expedition is complete. All of our team members participated during this two-month filming expedition, as well as a few additional and short duration assistants. I first must say that JT said it best: “The film is in the can!” Meaning, we have the footage needed to put together a stellar documentary, and as the director, he is very pleased with what we have been able to accomplish and where we will be in a year or so after the editing is complete.
The Baja Peninsula threw everything she had at us and we still escaped serious injury and had no significant mechanical issues. We persevered through it all: slept in the snow, got stuck in the sand, blown over by the strong and gusty winds, poked and scratched by just about every plant with thorns, swarmed by thousands of bugs, embraced by the wonderful Baja culture, and even slept with a scorpion.
Here are a few numbers for you to ponder and for your entertainment:
- 5280 - miles driven on the motorcycles in two months
- 29 - times the motorcycles were “dumped” or we crashed at low speeds (20 by Todd and only 9 by JT). Two of JT’s crashes were Todd’s fault! And Todd dumped his bike three times while standing still!
- 7 - cameras used on the expedition
- 36 - hours of footage from all the cameras
- 8 - inches, the length of the “World Record” Nelson Trout caught by Eric
- 530 - pounds in weight of each bike including gear, food, and water
- 4 - people we met along the expedition that said, “You're the Devil’s Road guys! We've heard of you!”
- 11,000 - feet, the altitude that Scott flew his plane, without a side door and with JT harnessed in so that JT can get aerial footage of the Sierra San Pedro Martir range of mountains
We look forward to sharing with all of you our stories and experiences. JT has an enormous task ahead of him to sort through and edit all that we have. When we have a working version of the film we will call upon all of you to help critique and finalize the film.
Again I would like to thank all of our sponsors, donors, and crowdfunding backers. We would not have been able to do this expedition without your support and generous contributions--in the form of mission-critical equipment and otherwise. I would also like to thank our assistant expedition contributors; Wayne Bruce, Scott and Laurie Bruce, Eric Bruce, Heidi Lewin, Bri Bruce, Jade Lewin, Gia and Eric Doughty, and Guy VanCleave. Because of all of you, we were able to secure some fantastic footage that will make this film shine.
As always, keep watching our website for updates and new items. And don’t forget to keep sharing the project with others on social media. We are very excited and pleased with what we have thus far.
Thanks again,
Todd Bruce
Producer, The Devil’s Road
Return Home
It took us two and a half days to get from the border to our home in Santa Cruz. A stop in Ojai at my dad's house for the night was the perfect halfway point. We battled more gusty, strong, and always changing winds the entire way home. Our last day in the saddle was a total of 315 miles and that brought an end to an amazing two-month filming expedition through the heart of the Baja Peninsula.
April 24 (Tijuana to San Diego)
I was filled with an honest mix of emotions when I woke this morning. JT was still sleeping and I slipped out of the hotel room to get a cup of coffee and reflect on my participation these last two months and in this project. On one hand, I was eager to get home and get back into my regular routine and be with Heidi. Yet, the other hand was wanting to hold onto more exploration, more time with JT, and more of what Baja encompasses. I have a love affair with this place that I cannot put into words. I have become accustomed to those around me speaking Spanish and me not knowing what they are saying. I have grown more comfortable sleeping on the ground in my sleeping bag and cooking over a fire of cactus wood, and I have secretly wished to keep going and seeking new Baja experiences.
One last shooting goal in Tijuana was all that was left. As we drove through the outskirts and downtown Tijuana, JT kept pulling over and running off to get a shot of this or that. His eye is keen with what he needs or what just happens to jump out at him. Several hours later, we were heading for the long lines at the border.
As it is always the case, we got in the wrong line. All other lines were moving faster than ours and we kept joking about jumping into another line and then having it be the slowest. As it turns out, motorcycles don't have to stay in line. They are allowed to split lanes and wedge in front of any car just before the border agent. So, we followed another motorcycles and skipped about two dozen cars and dove into a line with a slow and apparently very thorough agent.
Satisfied with our filming, the expedition, and how we met our goals, we set off to DMC Performance to fix JT's bike. It required a new chain and new rear sprocket to get her ready for the return trip home. We spent the night in Ramona at the home of JT's college friend Adam and his girlfriend Melisa's house. We were glad to be back in the States and very much enjoyed the company of old friends.