Motion picture: The Motorcycle Diaries, 2004.
Directed by Walter Salles.
In 1952, then a young medical student just a semester away from gaining his doctor’s degree, noted South American revolutionist Che Guevara and long time friend Alberto Granado embarked on a 8,000 km road trip with nothing more than adventure in their hearts and an old beat up 1939 Norton 500 motorcycle (they sold for scrap nine months after, completing the rest of the trip by hitchhiking, steamship, raft and local transport). Their original purpose was to explore a Latin America they hitherto read about only in books but enroute they discovered a world that eventually changed them forever.
Based on the travelogue by the same name, published twenty six years after his capture and assassination in Bolivia, Motorcycle Diaries is a poignant and powerful story of friendship, daring adventure and a revelation of events that led to making of the world famous revolutionist Che Guevara.
Directed by Walter Salles and starring Garcia Bernal as Che Guevara, Rodrigo Dela Serna as a Alberto Granado (who incidentally is related to the real life Guevara), and special appearance by real life Alberto Granado just before the closing credits, the film upon release in 2004 was hailed by critics as a coming of age story and went on to garner an impressive portfolio of awards including a Cannes, a François Chalais and a BAFTA Film Award.
