Brook Silva-Braga

Infobox Person


image_size = 150px
name = Brook Silva-Braga
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birth_name =
birth_date = birth date and age|1979|03|27
birth_place = Rhode Island
death_date =
residence = New York, New York
known_for = Documentary "A Map for Saturday", award-winning associate producer for cable TV (HBO)
education =
employer = Self-employed/freelance
occupation = cinematographer, director, producer
salary =
religion =
spouse =
partner =
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Brook Silva-Braga (born March 27, 1979)Back cover of "A Map for Saturday" DVD.] is an American documentary film producer. He shared a Primetime Emmy Award for his production of "Inside the NFL". He is best known from his documentary, "A Map for Saturday", in which he produced, directed, and starred. This award-winning film is about his adventures as a backpacker for 11 months in 2005, in which he stayed in various hostels. [imdb title|id=1024964]

Early career

Silva-Braga was born and raised in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and was a producer for HBO's "Inside the NFL", for which he shared an Emmy Award. [Bickford, Josh. [http://www.eastbayri.com/story/278945068554504.php "Portsmouth native wins Emmy Award"] . "East Bay Newspapers". October 23, 2003. Accessed November 12, 2007.] Purnell, Newley. [http://gridskipper.com/travel/journey/and-he-threw-it-all-away-212598.php "And He Threw It All Away"] . Gridskipper.com.] He lives in New York City.

"A Map for Saturday"

Making of the film

Silva-Braga quit his job with HBO "and he threw it all away" to travel around the globe for almost a year in 2005, with a video camera and equipment to record his adventures. It all started when HBO sent him to Asia for work on another story, and he discovered an underground network of backpackers, which enchanted him. [Tezza, "Interview with the Director of "A Map for Saturday", October 15, 2007, found at [http://www.4evayoung.com/interview-with-the-director-of-a-map-for-saturday/ 4 Eva Young web site] . Accessed November 13, 2007.]

When he quit his job with HBO, his supervisor told him that, in the future, he'd only send married producers overseas. [ [http://www.gadling.com/2007/06/15/talking-travel-with-brook-silva-braga/ Gadling.com interview] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] After he finished the film, he said that it had changed his outlook on life:quote|(T)ime and money are commodities with an inverse relationship; you need to spend one to have the other. And traveling cheap makes you realize that time is more valuable than money.|Brook Silva Braga [ [http://gridskipper.com/travel/journey/and-he-threw-it-all-away-212598.php Gridskipper.com interview] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] and

ynopsis

The film is billed as "around the world in 90 minutes." [Melinda J. Benson, "Filmstrip Tease", found at [http://www.northernohiolive.com/archives/07-03mar/story1.htm Northern Ohio Live web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] Its title describes the feeling that, "On a trip around the world, every day feels like Saturday." [Melizer, "Blog," found at [http://www.kaboodle.com/melizer/movies-to-see.html Kaboodle web site "Movies to See" blog] ] When "everyday is Saturday, each new person an instant best friend," you need a guide to how to deal with "always saying goodbye, and loss of connection(s)." [Kevein Kelly, "Cool Tool: A Map for Saturday", review, found at [http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001748.php Kevin Kelly's web site] . Accessed November 13, 2007.] Silva-Braga shows us the "hot spots" of backpacking adventure -- Australia, Southeast Asia, India, and London -- and out-of-the-way places like Brazil, Nepal, and Thailand. [Melizer, "Blog," found at [http://www.kaboodle.com/melizer/movies-to-see.html Kaboodle web site "Movies to See" blog] ] He was forced to pack only five pounds of clothes, because of his 30 pounds of video equipment, and stay in many hostels to save money. [Melinda J. Benson, "Filmstrip Tease", found at [http://www.northernohiolive.com/archives/07-03mar/story1.htm Northern Ohio Live web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] He interviews various hostellers and fellow travellers along the way as he investigates how and why people take long-term, budget travel. [ [http://www.amapforsaturday.com/synopsis.html "A Map for Saturday" official web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] [ [http://gridskipper.com/travel/journey/and-he-threw-it-all-away-212598.php Gridskipper.com travel web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] [http://www.gadling.com/2007/06/15/talking-travel-with-brook-silva-braga/ Gadling.com web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.]

Premiere

The documentary premiered at the 2007 Cleveland International Film Festival, where it was screened four times. [ [http://clevelandfilm.org/ciff_films_find.php?fid=2178 Cleveland International Film Festival official web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] [Benson, Melinda J. "Filmstrip Tease", found at [http://www.northernohiolive.com/archives/07-03mar/story1.htm Northern Ohio Live web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] This film fest is a competitive one, drawing 43,000 attendees, 950 submissions, but only 180 films screened in 250 showings; this film was screened 4 times rather than the average 1.38 times of the typical film at the festival. [ [http://www.filmfestivalworld.com/festival/Cleveland_Intl_Film_Festival/ Film Festival World web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] The Cleveland Film Society, organizers of the film festival, created a live podcast during a panel interview with him. [ [http://cfspodcast.org/?feed=rss2 Cleveland Film Society Podcast roll] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] The local affiliate of ABC interviewed him while he was in town for the film festival. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtpMqoEkSTc YouTube clip of ABC-Cleveland interview] . Accessed November 12, 2007.]

Important screenings

"A Map for Saturday" was screened in Paris, France, shortly after the camera Silva-Braga used to film it was stolen. [ [http://musicslut.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html Music Slut blog posting] ]

The United States affiliate of Hostelling International is also screening the film at selected universities, colleges, and public libraries through its hostel councils. [ [http://www.bryant.edu/wps/wcm/connect/Bryant/About%20Bryant/News/News%20Releases/2007/November/International%20Education%20Week Bryant University official web page November 2007 news release] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] [ [http://www.albanypubliclibrary.org/calendar/?eventid=3685 Albany Public Library official web page] . Accessed February 22, 2008.]

"A Map for Saturday" was screened on the MTV network's "True Life" series, episode 58. [ [http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/truelife/episode/episode.jhtml?episodeId=132188 MTV web site True Life episode 132188 page] . Accessed May 5, 2008.]

Critical reception

The film has garnered mostly excellent reviews. Both blogs and professional movie critics have lauded "A Map for Saturday", but it has not been uniform.

Many reviewers lauded the film. Sean Keener, CEO of BootsnAll Travel Network, wrote that it was "well done" and praised the filmmaker as "a good story teller." [ [http://sean.keener.org/travel/a-map-for-saturday-movie-review.html Sean Keeler.org web site] ] One blog wrote:

Another blogger, Jen (JK), wrote about the producer and the film this way: "He's horribly cute and quite the cad not to mention his film is really endearing and enjoyable." [ [http://musicslut.blogspot.com/2007/03/attention-cleveland-readers-go-see-this.html Music Slut blog spot] . She also claims, "I am in the movie for a whopping 3 seconds." Accessed November 12, 2007.] Another reviewer said that it was her "favorite" film at the festival. [Kristin Dreyer Kramer, "Confessions from a Film Festival", found at [http://www.nightsandweekends.com/articles/07/NW0700168.php Nights and Weekends web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] Cool Tool wrote, quote|Something weird happens when you travel longer than 10 days, and that wonderful transformation (which no one can explain to their family when they return) is what this superbly written, fabulously edited, deeply personal and wonderfully likeable documentary is all about."|Kevin Kelly [Kevin Kelly, "Cool Tool: A Map for Saturday", review, found at [http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001748.php Kevin Kelly's web site] . Accessed November 13, 2007.]

There have been dissenting views. The indieWIRE web site reviewed the premiere at the Cleveland, claiming that "director Brook Silva-Braga, despite having incredibly honorable intentions with his backpacking documentary, "A Map For Saturday," misses an opportunity to provide insight about a group of people..." [ [http://www.indiewire.com/ots/2007/03/dispatch_from_o.html indieWIRE web site review of "A Map For Saturday". Accessed November 12, 2007.] ] Interestingly, one blogger, while praising it as "a great movie," challenged "his assertion that he feels the need to get this all done before marriage and kids because 'you can't do it then' Uh...no..you can. It's different, its certainly not mainstream..but it can be done." [Debbie, "CFF: Map for Saturday", found at [http://mynavelgazing.blogspot.com/ My Navel Gazing.com blog spot] . Accessed November 12, 2007.]

Cultural impact

After watching his documentary, many viewers have been inspired to travel. [ [http://boards.bootsnall.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/209091657/m/60100002416/p/3 BotsNAll Travel Community web site] . Accessed November 13, 2007.]

In reviewing the DVD of the film, one blogger wrote:

Recent programs

Silva-Braga posted a series of blogs at Gadling.com, which is affiliated with AOL, [ [http://www.events.gadling.com/category/across-northern-europe-with-brook-silva-braga/ Across Northern Europe with Brook Silva-Braga and other Blogs] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] as well as posting at "TheInterviewPoint". [ [http://www.theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Blog/Blog.html TheInterviewPoint blog] . Accessed November 12, 2007.]

On November 10, 2007, Silva-Braga was the keynote speaker at the national conference of American Youth Hostels in Washington, D.C.;
HI-USA sponsored an essay-writing contest called "The Big Trip" to celebrate this event. [ [http://www.amapforsaturday.com/ "A Map for Saturday" official web site] ] [ [http://www.hiusa.org/ HI-USA official web site] . Accessed November 12, 2007.] [ [http://www.vagabondish.com/win-an-around-the-world-trip-in-400-words-or-less/ vagabondish web site] . Accessed November 13, 2007.]

References

ee also

* American Youth Hostels

External links

*
*
* [http://amapforsaturday.com/index.html A Map for Saturday official web site]
* [http://www/hiusa.org HI-USA official web site]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wi1heNw-YQ "A Map for Saturday" Trailer on YouTube]