Contiki collaborates with Kiwi director Tom Gould to launch new ‘The Travel Project’ campaign
Award-winning Kiwi photographer and director Tom Gould has teamed up with youth travel company Contiki to create its latest instalment of The Travel Project, a content-led series exploring the ways in which travel makes us better humans.
The Travel Project is an influencer-led storytelling platform, centred around various missions which explore the multitude of ways travel can create positive change. The latest film follows a first-time millennial traveller, Jose Gabriel Baez, on Contiki’s Adriatic Spirit trip in Europe, capturing the life-changing journey Contiki takes him on.
Gould is an Auckland-born photographer and director based in New York City. His previous work has heavily focused on urban subcultures, with his award-winning documentary Skin proving his ability to tap into a hyperlocal story while projecting a message that resonates globally. Capturing the life of New Zealand mobster Martyka ‘Skin’ Brandt, Skin won international attention as Vimeo Staff Pick, Short of the Week, and was awarded Best Self-Funded Short Film at the New Zealand Film Awards. Gould has also found success on the music scene, writing original concepts for artists such as Future and Joey Bada$$, while also being credited as a creator on Action Bronson’s VICELAND series, “F*ck, That’s Delicious.”
Documenting the captivating story of a millennial first-time traveller for Contiki, Gould follows Jose Gabriel Baez, a 19-year-old dancer based in Washington Heights, New York, as he leaves his hometown and heads on a journey to explore Europe. The personal journey features Jose’s dancing background, displaying his ballet, contemporary, hip-hop and jazz dancing skills resulting in a contemporary, cutting edge documentary.
The underlying message that travel makes us better humans is showcased as the apprehensive Jose encounters new cultures, people, food and travel experiences and takes away an important learning – through travel you discover that there’s more to life than what you may already know. The resulting film is a stylish and empowering documentary which tells a story encapsulating the core reasons travel is such a crucial experience for millennials.
Says Baez: “This trip has taught me that I have the power to do anything. This has granted me a newfound strength and belief in myself, and things I can do in my lifetime. I’ve learned that I am special and that If I give to the universe, the universe will give back.”
Says Gould: “I feel once he opened up and became comfortable within his new surroundings he really became a new person. He tried so many things he had never done before, met people from all over the world, and ultimately saw that he was changing and growing within himself.”
Says Toni Amber, director of brand strategy, Contiki: “José is representative of so many of our travellers; hungry to explore the world, to find their place in it, and to learn more about themselves from the experiences they have. We’re excited to work with Tom, whose immense talent has brought this story to life.”
The documentary was captured on Contiki’s Adriatic Spirit trip, with 2018-19 Europe Summer experiences now on sale. For more information on Contiki’s trips to Europe, USA, Canada, Asia and Latin America check out contiki.com.