Race around the World is entering the home stretch, and week nine might be the most emotionally varied batch of films yet. The six contestants on Race Around the World have spent months chasing stories across the globe with barely any notice of where they’re headed, and this round proves just how far they’ve come as storytellers. From a pagan ritual in Lithuania to a data centre rising out of the Utah desert, here’s a rundown of every entry and where each filmmaker is headed next.
Lucinda Finds Ritual in Lithuania
Lucinda’s film, titled Touch Grass, opens with a filmmaker who admits she’s been rattled by negative comments piling up online. Rather than spiral further, she turns to an old pagan ceremony in Lithuania as a way of grounding herself again. It’s a short, sharp piece — just under four minutes — but it lands as one of the more introspective entries of the week, less about the ritual itself and more about what drives someone to seek it out. Lucinda now heads to Los Angeles for her next assignment.
Jayden Reflects on Home in Jordan
To My Future Self, by Jordan’s Jayden, chronicles Bedouin communities trying to live their traditional lifestyles, as a reflection on his own. Living from suitcase to suitcase, as Jayden has done for much of this tournament; he’s found the question that seems to resonate with him: What is home? A sedate personal comment on culture, Jayden’s next stop is Senegal.
Mikaela Honors Unseen Work in Canada
Mikaela’s contribution, An Ode To Keepers, is a tribute to a lighthouse keeper and the kind of labour that rarely gets acknowledged because it works best when nobody notices it at all. At just over three minutes, it’s a compact meditation on quiet dedication — the people who show up and do the unglamorous work that keeps everything else running smoothly in the background. From Canada, Mikaela is now on her way to Mongolia.
William is a documentary on the history guardian in Turkey
The Watchman of Antiquity is the film of William and focuses on Mustafa Guvven, a man who is protecting the archaeological site for 17 years in a rural area of Turkey. Now, with his own clock counting down, Mustafa has set himself a new task—of making sure the site’s heritage lives on after he has left to protect it. It’s a tale about legacy and responsibility, as seen by a man who has devoted almost 20 years of his life to one expanse of land. William now travels on to Vietnam.
Elliot Searches for Meaning in Monaco
Elliot’s Lost In Monaco takes the glitz of one of the world’s most glamorous destinations and turns it inside out. Rather than chasing luxury, Elliot finds himself chasing something harder to pin down — a genuine story, and along with it, a reminder of why he signed up for this journey in the first place. The film completes itself in just 3 minutes; still it has quite a grip for its viewers. Elliot is going to be in Brazil next.
Kate Explores a Data Centre in the Desert in Utah
The last entry titled Mr Wonderful Atomic Bomb takes a complete turn. It was filmed in Utah, where Kevin O’Leary, the investor of Shark Tank, wants to establish one of the biggest data centres on earth in the middle of the desert. With technology advancing so quickly these days and the landscapes it changes in the process, it’s an appropriate topic for Kate to discuss.
Why this week is special
Race Around the World week nine isn’t all about the geography, it’s all about the films made and the personal aspect of them. This batch is definitely more introspective than the initial episodes were, and almost as many looks inwards as outwards. There’s a definite feel of comfort when it comes to placing themselves in their work, be it Lucinda processing her online noise in ritual or Jayden putting himself in the idea of home.
Catch Up Before Next Week
The competition is now in its week nine & each filmmaker is already on the move, for their next destination. Nine entries that were submitted are now available to watch, that is why every film now counts more now.