Fans of Robert Bateman and Bristol Foster’s yearlong round-the-world trip—and their iconic Land Rover, Grizzly Torque—can look forward to the debut of The Art of Adventure, a documentary featuring in-depth interviews and original 16-millimeter film footage of the 1957 to 1958 expedition. Director Alison Reid explores how the trip expanded the pair’s knowledge of the physical world while deepening their spiritual and emotional connection to the land.
The film recalls Foster and Bateman’s 30,000-kilometer trip across Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia, including an insight into their lives in the decades that followed. Bateman went on to become one of the world’s most noteworthy wildlife artists and a vocal environmentalist, while Foster became a prominent biologist and the first director of British Columbia’s Ecological Reserves.
I was fortunate to speak with the Canadian duo about their trip for a Modern Explorers feature in the Winter 2024 issue of Overland Journal. Bristol admits the filming part of the expedition proved tricky as they carried a limited amount of 16-millimeter film. “We didn’t have the space to carry it, and there were all sorts of complications. It was great to be able to send the film home to my father in Toronto, and he would give it to processing. We didn’t see the results for a year and a half.” Fortunately, the film turned out and plays a large part in The Art of Adventure.
The documentary will premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival on October 5, 7, and 12, 2025. It will also be available to watch at the Forest City International Film Festival on October 26 and the Windsor International Film Festival on October 27, 2025. Those unable to attend the screenings can catch the Canadian duo on the big screen in April 2026 when the film opens in theatres.
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