The pictures that take us to another place
Stunning film locations can excite the wanderlust in us all. We ask a selection of celebrities which movies get them going
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Actress Gwyneth Paltrow
“Whenever I see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a total comedy classic, I get the urge to feel the breeze of the south of France in the summer!”
Actor Orlando Bloom
“The movie that inspired me to travel was The Lord of the Rings. I cherished my time filming it in New Zealand – it’s the most beautiful, magical place with great hospitality. I love places that are completely cut off from everything, where I can relax and enjoy the simplicity of nature.”
Actor and director, Richard E Grant
“When I was seven, I saw Mary Poppins and broke my arm jumping off our garage roof holding an umbrella! Then I saw Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, which was slapstick laugh-out-loud funny and convinced me that a life of flying and travel was the ideal, which I’ve been in pursuit of ever since. So it’s no accident that I’m in Hong Kong filming a second series of Hotel Secrets.”
Silent Picturehouse presenter and DJ Edith Bowman
“The film Into the Wild is a real journey of discovery with a fantastic performance from Emile Hirsch. Since watching it, I’ve done a few trips on my own and have always thought about it when I’m travelling, I find the film liberating in the same way as going to the cinema on your own is. I love the adventure and the inspiration I take from it as well.”
Actor and presenter James Corden
“My film would be Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It’s maybe the funniest film ever but it reminds you that the journey is just as important as the destination.”
Professor Brian Cox
“I remember watching Woody Allen’s Manhattan in the early 1980s, before I’d been anywhere or even stepped outside the country, and for me it defines New York. Both New York and Manhattan Island should be in black and white! It’s shot in this beautiful, sumptuous black and white, and there’s the music of Gershwin, which I always hear in my head every time I go over the Queensboro Bridge, or come in from JFK airport because of that film!”
Actor Craig Roberts (Submarine)
“Watching the Mexican film Y Tu Mama Tambien transported me from Wales to a much more exotic and sunny place than I was used to. As a coming-of-age classic, it somehow symbolises travel as something you have to experience when you get that first opportunity of freedom and independence in your late teens.”
England rugby captain Chris Robshaw
“A movie that inspires me to travel is A Good Year. The scenery in southern France is stunning, and the charm and its laidback lifestyle are enticing.”
Olympic medallist Louis Smith
“The Hobbit has definitely inspired me to go and visit New Zealand. I literally want to check out all of the parts of the film; go and visit the Shire and see it all in real life! Up until now all of my travels have been linked to my gymnastics, so hopefully, now the Olympics are over, I’ll get to explore a bit more.”
Presenter Alex Zane
“For me, Jaws is the greatest film ever made and began my fascination with sharks. I love nothing more than travelling to coastlines across the world, standing on a beach and wondering how close I am to the nearest shark. But standing on the beach is where my journey ends, I have not been in the sea since I saw the film, when I was five. I also sometimes get nervous in swimming pools; you just never know!”
British Airways chief executive, Keith Williams
“The film that sticks with me is Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa. It’s set in British East Africa in the early 20th century and has Robert Redford and Meryl Streep flying over the Ngong Hills in Kenya, in a 1929 Gipsy Moth. The scenery is unbelievable and the flight magical. That Gipsy Moth went for sale last year, but it was too expensive (alas).”
Actor Douglas Booth (Romeo & Juliet)
“I think travel is best when it’s as unplanned as possible so that you get that real sense of adventure. I think that the film Thelma and Louise really encapsulates that – their travels are unplanned and spontaneous and therefore full of excitement, escapism and optimism.”
Chief executive of BAFTA, Amanda Berry
“One of my favourite films is Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Released in the year I was born, it is an exotic and glamorous snapshot of that time. The cast are amazing but the city of New York is a sumptuous co-star. I love the views and the feel of the city the film gives us, from the Brownstones on the East Side, the splendour of 5th Avenue to the truly unique and stunning Central Park. When I first visited in the 1980s, the city didn’t disappoint and I still get that same excitement when I arrive in New York today.”
Actress Kara Tointon (The Sweeney, Eastenders)
“The Sound of Music is one of my mother’s favourite films, and we watched it constantly while growing up. The opening credits transport you through these incredible crane shots flying through the Alps and over Salzburg before Julie bursts into “The Hills Are Alive”. Well, the mountains have made me feel alive ever since. Any chance to travel in the direction of one and I’m there. Skiing or walking! It’s my number one travel experience.”
British Airways Silent Picturehouse is a pop-up cinema, showing travel-inspired films in London (22-26 July). Tickets available Monday ba.com/silentpicturehouse
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments