Boulder Environmental Nature Outdoors Film Festival 2026: The Art of Adventure

TICKETS
Friday, July 17 at 4:30PM
Between 1957 and 1958, Robert Bateman and Bristol Foster undertook the adventure of a lifetime — driving a Land Rover dubbed “the Grizzly Torque” 30,000 kilometres across Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia. More than just an adrenaline-pumping adventure story of two young men crossing half the planet, The Art of Adventure maps out how Bateman and Foster’s trip inspired a love of nature that would last a lifetime. The film interweaves an account of their travels with a look their lives through the decades that followed: Bateman became a beloved Canadian wildlife painter and Foster a prominent biologist and the first director of BC’s Ecological Reserves program. Through in-depth interviews with friends and family and the original 16mm film footage of their incredible journey, director Alison Reid shows how the trip expanded the pair’s knowledge of the physical world while deepening their spiritual and emotional connection to it. A heartwarming, inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.
-“A rare kind of documentary – intimate, awe-filled, and unforgettable. It reminds us that wonder isn’t childish; it’s essential.”
-“An outstanding doc that provides joy in the self-discovery that only seems possible from exploring far off places with an open heart.”
-“A bromance for the ages!”
-“As much a celebration of friendship as it is of the natural world”
Directed by Alison Reid
Runtime: 86 mins