12-31-2009, 04:02 PM
IMDB Link - Big River Man
One of the forums I visit has a thread topic "Real Pictures that Look Like Photoshops". Basically people post pictures that are so bizarre you can't believe they are real.
"Big River Man" is a documentary you'd swear was fake. It follows a man intent on swimming over 3300 miles following the Amazon river from Peru to the Atlantic Ocean. The man doing it is a fat, 52 year old Estovian who chugs Jameson's and beer as he performs the feat.
He is followed by his son and 'navigator' who help him avoid whirlpools, debris and wild animals.
I don't want to spoil the experience so let's just say it starts out all Borat and ends up all Colonel Kurtz. The filmmaker uses quick edits and trippy cinematography to help share the level of crazy you have to be to even try this (let alone finish).
I seriously watched this whole thing with an internal monologue of 'There is no way this is real'.
Wikipedia excerpt:
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Strel's first two river swims were the Krka river (105 km) in his homeland, in 28 hours in 1992, and the boundary Kolpa river (62 kilometres (39 mi)), in 16 hours in 1993. In 2000, he swam the Danube River (2,860 kilometres (1,780 mi)) and achieved the world long distance swimming record (3,004 kilometres (1,867 mi)) in 58 days. In July 2001, he achieved one more world record — 504 kilometres (313 mi) of non-stop swimming in Danube within 84 hours and 10 minutes.
In 2002, he swam the entire Mississippi River (3,885 kilometres (2,414 mi)) in 68 days. In 2003, he swam the Argentine Paraná River (3,998 kilometres (2,484 mi)). On 10 June 2004, Martin started swimming down the Yangtze River (4,003 kilometres (2,487 mi), the longest river in Asia, the third longest in the world) in China. He reached Shanghai in 40 days on 30 July 2004, one day before planned.
Strel swam the Amazon River, commencing on 1 February 2007.[2], finishing 66 days later on April 7, 2007[3] If verified this would be another record-breaking distance of 5,268 kilometres (3,273 mi), longer than the width of the Atlantic Ocean. He had escort boats that poured blood into the river to distract meat-eating fish such as piranhas.
In 2007, the Nile had been proposed as his next river, but Strel said, "I am not going to do the Nile. It's long but not challenging enough, it is just a small creek. The Amazon is much more mighty."
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Seriously - check this out.
You will believe a man can swim.
One of the forums I visit has a thread topic "Real Pictures that Look Like Photoshops". Basically people post pictures that are so bizarre you can't believe they are real.
"Big River Man" is a documentary you'd swear was fake. It follows a man intent on swimming over 3300 miles following the Amazon river from Peru to the Atlantic Ocean. The man doing it is a fat, 52 year old Estovian who chugs Jameson's and beer as he performs the feat.
He is followed by his son and 'navigator' who help him avoid whirlpools, debris and wild animals.
I don't want to spoil the experience so let's just say it starts out all Borat and ends up all Colonel Kurtz. The filmmaker uses quick edits and trippy cinematography to help share the level of crazy you have to be to even try this (let alone finish).
I seriously watched this whole thing with an internal monologue of 'There is no way this is real'.
Wikipedia excerpt:
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Strel's first two river swims were the Krka river (105 km) in his homeland, in 28 hours in 1992, and the boundary Kolpa river (62 kilometres (39 mi)), in 16 hours in 1993. In 2000, he swam the Danube River (2,860 kilometres (1,780 mi)) and achieved the world long distance swimming record (3,004 kilometres (1,867 mi)) in 58 days. In July 2001, he achieved one more world record — 504 kilometres (313 mi) of non-stop swimming in Danube within 84 hours and 10 minutes.
In 2002, he swam the entire Mississippi River (3,885 kilometres (2,414 mi)) in 68 days. In 2003, he swam the Argentine Paraná River (3,998 kilometres (2,484 mi)). On 10 June 2004, Martin started swimming down the Yangtze River (4,003 kilometres (2,487 mi), the longest river in Asia, the third longest in the world) in China. He reached Shanghai in 40 days on 30 July 2004, one day before planned.
Strel swam the Amazon River, commencing on 1 February 2007.[2], finishing 66 days later on April 7, 2007[3] If verified this would be another record-breaking distance of 5,268 kilometres (3,273 mi), longer than the width of the Atlantic Ocean. He had escort boats that poured blood into the river to distract meat-eating fish such as piranhas.
In 2007, the Nile had been proposed as his next river, but Strel said, "I am not going to do the Nile. It's long but not challenging enough, it is just a small creek. The Amazon is much more mighty."
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Seriously - check this out.
You will believe a man can swim.
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