Blue Highways + Last Exit To Elsewhere

I haven't read Blue Highways: A Journey Into America. Clearly though, I better. It's a book written by William Least Heat-Moon in 1982 which chronicles his late '70s roadtrip across America.

For a taste of it, we've got this damn fine video called Last Exit To Elsewhere. It features VO taken from the book, paired with footage filmmaker Dan Sadgrove shot while on a recent 5,000 mile road trip of his own. 

The tone, of both the VO and the visuals, are entirely different than your typical roadtrip video. The piece doesn't culminate with tight tan bodies leaping from cliffs into the sea. There's no final call to action. There's no Go For It Bro! There's just this tone, throughout. Of searching and sadness too. 

The video culminates with a realization: "I still dream... but I'm not restless anymore." Is it wisdom? Surrender? A bit of both I suppose. I've come to the same understanding myself after extended time on the road.

I imagine one of these times the feeling might stick for me. But not quite yet.

Based off conversations William Least Heat-Moon had on the road in his book 'Blue Highways: A Journey into America.' This film represents my journey of lonely miles through small towns and empty highways. In late 2015 I went on a 5,000mile road trip through the bottom half of the US from California to Louisiana and back. Driving through back-road highways, much like the Least Heat-Moon, I avoided the Interstate Highways as much as I could. It is off these Interstate highways where you can still find remnants of America as it used to be, maybe back when the author drove through it in the late 70's. Over the course of my journey whilst reading 'Blue Highways' I found my experiences on the road mirrored that of the author and though it was written in 1978, still held true to my journey in 2015. Director/Editor: Dan Sadgrove Music: Hanan Townshend Narration: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson Sound: Morgan Johnson at Barking Owl Sound Color: Kath Raisch at Company 3