Race Around the World: Filmmakers Face Moral Dilemmas and Creative Burnout

The six filmmakers competing in ABC iview's Race Around the World are now in the eighth week of their global adventure, having produced weekly short films from destinations as varied as Madagascar, Argentina, and Romania. Each filmmaker receives only a day's notice of their destination and then has 10 days to find a story and produce a short film, which is judged by a panel of experts. The audience is also invited to vote for their favorite film from each week's lineup, with destinations for the following week revealed alongside the films.

Coverage Comparison

All coverage of the competition comes from ABC Australia, the public broadcaster. Reports have consistently detailed the competition's format, including the day's notice for destinations and the 10-day filmmaking deadline. The broadcaster has also prominently featured the audience poll, encouraging viewers to vote for their preferred films each week.

In addition to the logistical aspects, ABC Australia has devoted significant attention to the personal experiences of individual contestants, providing first-person accounts that offer a more introspective look at the challenges of the competition.

Key Claims

  • Six filmmakers are participating in ABC iview's Race Around the World, each tasked with producing a weekly short film.
  • Contestants are given only a day's notice of their destination before traveling.
  • Films are judged by a panel of experts, and the audience can vote for their favorite each week.

Contestant Experiences

Mikaela Zuiderduyn, who found herself in New Orleans during week six, described feeling creatively and energetically burnt out halfway through the competition. In an attempt to change her luck, she decided to make a documentary about voodoo magic. Her film, titled "Control and Compel," features her turning to witches, tarot cards, and voodoo in a desperate attempt to improve her standing. Despite her initial skepticism about magic, Zuiderduyn reflected on the experience with uncertainty, noting, "Did I believe in magic? No. Do I now? Also no. Maybe."

In week five, contestant William He faced a different kind of challenge while in Japan. While visiting a rare bookstore in Tokyo, he stumbled upon an autobiographical manga written by a cannibal. The book detailed the crimes committed and the author's feelings during them, which He found disturbing. He grappled with the moral implications of the book, noting that it "directly profits from a despicable crime" and fails to acknowledge the suffering of the victim and her family. He also noted that the author had built a career out of his infamy, becoming the subject of films, books, and documentaries. He's week five film, "Birds of a Feather," however, took a different turn, focusing on a couple who survey their avian kingdom from their castle in Maine.

Weekly Highlights

Each week, the competition has offered a diverse array of stories. In week six, films included Elliot's exploration of Nepalese warrior culture in "The Ghurka Detox," Jayden's account of revered crocodiles in Timor-Leste in "Grandfather Crocodile," and Lucinda's comparison of a man met on WhatsApp versus 130,000 wild elephants in Botswana in "Man or Elephant." Kate's "A very relaxing video" from Scotland blended humor with Highlander-inspired physical training.

Week seven saw Jayden documenting life in Mumbai's Dharavi slum, Lucinda exploring identity in Paris, Mikaela examining Berlin's shifting political landscape in "Bubbling," and Kate profiling a luchador villain in Mexico. William's "Birds of a Feather" and Elliot's "For our Fathers," a film about children growing up without fathers in Azerbaijan, rounded out the lineup.

By week eight, the filmmakers had traveled even further afield. William took on bullfighting in Madagascar with "Savika," Elliot found a quieter side of the Bahamas on Cat Island, and Lucinda critiqued influencer culture in Bali with "ENTERING NIRVANA." Kate's "The trouble with being born" explored nostalgia for past regimes in a Transylvanian village, while Mikaela's "La Pachamama" celebrated gratitude for the Earth in Argentina. Jayden's week eight film from Jersey, "In the deep end," delved into long-distance swimming, a fitting metaphor for the endurance required in this competition.

As the competition moves into its ninth week, the filmmakers continue to face new destinations, new stories, and the ever-present pressure of the clock. The audience remains an integral part of the process, with voting open for each week's films before the next leg of the journey begins.