Behaviours of the Backpacker (2003)

To make Sándor's New Zealand Trail (originally title Behaviors of the Backpacker), Sándor Lau, a Chinese/Hungarian-American film student and Fulbright scholar, walked 300 miles (500km) alone from Auckland to Cape Reinga, New Zealand's geographic and spiritual tip. This black comedy road trip documentary records the stories of backpackers from around the world, organic farmers, hostel owners, tour operators, Mäori communities, and the filmmaker himself. On his journey, Sándor discovers how much a toothbrush handle weighs, why we spend our lives walking backwards, and the true distance to home. Made with the support of Fulbright New Zealand and the Screen Innovation Production Fund, a partnership between Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Film Commission. First aired on Television New Zealand (TV1) in December 2003 with subsequent screenings on The Documentary Channel (New Zealand), Maori Television (New Zealand), and The Documentary Channel (USA).