DocuDoka #1: Gringo Trails (Are Tourists Destroying the Planet?)

On Friday, June 17th, Volkshotel launches a new film and discussion night in Doka, located in the basement of the Volkskrant building. Under the title DocuDoka every two months an urgent issue in today’s global society will be discussed on the basis of a documentary and discussion with special guests. The first film that will be shown is Gringo Trails, a thought-provoking documentary about the traces that backpackers leave during their travels.

DocuDoka is an initiative of Volkshotel in collaboration with Dudes in your Face and Caribbean Creativity and will consist of a variety of film series that explores the adverse effects of globalization. The first series focuses on the impact of tourism. What are the effects of modern tourism on people and the environment?

The film series on tourism opens on Friday, June 17th with the Dutch premiere of Gringo Trails. The film asks the simple but critical question: are tourists destroying the planet? Anthropologist and filmmaker Pegi Vail shows in Gringo Trails how previously remote places across the globe are now flooded and transformed by backpackers. From the Bolivian jungle to the party beaches of Thailand, and from the deserts of Timbuktu, Mali to the breath-taking beauty of Bhutan, the film traces the unanticipated and often dramatic impact of tourism on local cultures, economies and environments in the past thirty years.

The discussion panel of the evening will consist of Inge Hermann, Associate Lector on Ethics and Tourism at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and Bart Stuart and Klaar van der Lippe of FAIRcity, a platform critical of the current developments in Amsterdam, including the pressures of tourism in the Dutch capital. After a short reflection on the film, both experts will stimulate a lively discussion with the audience about the responsibility of tourists and other guests (tour operators, travel agents, travel writers, etc.) to the destinations they visit.

Tickets for the first edition of DocuDoka can be ordered online for 10 euros at http://bit.ly/docudoka1 or purchased at the door on the night itself for the same price. Advanced ticketing is recommended, as there are only a limited number of seats available. The film is in English (incl. English subtitles) and the main language of the discussion will also be in English to enhance inclusion and participation.

DOCUDOKA #1: GRINGO TRAILS (ARE TOURISTS DESTROYING THE PLANET?)

20.00 Doors open
20.15 Introduction
20.30 Start Gringo Trails (79 min.)
22.00 Discussion
23:00 After-chat with drinks at the bar
00:00 Regular Doka party (until 7am!)

TICKETS: http://bit.ly/docudoka1

MORE INFO & RSVP: www.facebook.com/events/482536525289822/