The Camino de Santiago is an experience that, if you’ve tried it once, you’ll surely remember with a smile. It’s also addictive, almost like a well-made TV series or movie. As if that weren’t enough, many pilgrims miss it, and there are plenty who repeat it every year and discover new Jacobean routes. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the Camino, as we Galicians say, we have the solution: the most comprehensive list of the best Camino movies. Get your popcorn ready, get comfortable on the couch, and don’t forget your cozy blanket and favorite drink because the show is about to begin. We promise not to give any spoilers, okay?
The Way, one of the best films based on the Camino de Santiago.
Cultural and Cinematic Importance of the Camino
The Camino de Santiago is a source of inspiration for filmmakers around the world. Movies about the Camino capture the spirituality of this journey, the diversity of experiences, and the various reasons that lead pilgrims to undertake it. From stories of personal triumph to explorations of faith and love, these films offer a deep look into the humanism of the Camino de Santiago. These are journeys where introspection, self-discovery, and personal reflection reveal the transformative and spiritual effects of walking the Camino.
Whether in fiction, documentary, animation, or series format, there are numerous examples of movies about the Camino de Santiago on the big screen. From the inspiring documentary I’ll Push You (Chris Karcher, Terry Parish, 2017) to classics like The Way (Emilio Estevez, 2010), the big screen offers a variety. Even the small screen, where these movies and documentaries or special programs about the Camino are often broadcast.
The 5 Best Movies about the Camino de Santiago
Cinema and pilgrimage go well together, and here is our selection of the five best movies based on the Camino de Santiago.
Al Final del Camino (2009), directed by Roberto Santiago
Nacho is a photographer, and Pilar is a journalist. They hate each other. However, they have to pretend to be a couple to do a report on Olmo, a guru who specializes in resolving relationship crises by walking the Camino de Santiago. During a six-day journey through Galicia, they find themselves in all sorts of absurd, delirious, and romantic situations. As the saying goes, anything can happen on the way to the end of the Camino.
The Way (2010), directed by Emilio Estevez
This drama is undoubtedly one of the best Camino movies. Tom Avery, a widowed and renowned ophthalmologist, receives the news that his son Daniel has died in the Pyrenees during a storm. Tom, devastated, travels to France and, upon learning that his son was walking the French Way, decides to complete the route in his son’s honor. He not only reaches Santiago but also continues on to the Finisterre and Muxía Way. This film, starring Martin Sheen, as well as the literary works of Paulo Coelho, have been significant promoters of the Jacobean routes.
La Via Láctea (1969), directed by Luis Buñuel
This is simply an intriguing addition to Jacobean cinema by a master, Luis Buñuel. Two French wanderers decide to pilgrimage to Santiago from the outskirts of Paris. Along their adventure, they encounter numerous characters and experience situations closely tied to religious beliefs. Liberated from time and space, they encounter a series of characters that illustrate the main heresies of humanity.
Santiago… La Meca (2005), directed by Coline Serreau
Upon their mother’s death, three brothers discover that they will only inherit her estate if they make a pilgrimage from Le Puy-en-Velay in France to Santiago de Compostela. The problem is that they hate each other and hate walking, but their desire for the money prevails, and they finally set off. They meet their guide in Le Puy-en-Velay, where they discover that they will be walking the Camino in a group with six other people. The journey to Santiago is long, and through splendid landscapes, we witness the mishaps, quarrels, romances, fantasies, and experiences of these nine characters.
O Apostolo (2012), directed by Fernando Cortizo
A recently escaped prisoner attempts to recover the loot he hid years ago in a remote and solitary village. However, what he finds there is a sentence worse than prison. Sinister characters, mysterious disappearances, an eccentric priest, and even the archpriest of Santiago himself are featured in an animated story with elements of horror, humor, and fantasy. This production features the famous voices of Luis Tosar, Geraldine Chaplin, Manuel Manquiña, Jorge Sanz, and Paul Naschy, among others.
Leave the screen and make your Camino
If you haven’t walked the Camino yet, these best Camino movies and documentaries will inspire you and allow you to get to know it. However, until you experience it yourself, you won’t truly understand what the characters in these best Camino movies feel. And if you’ve already walked it but miss it, here are five great Sunday plans until you return to the Camino. Because, just like these best Camino movies, the Jacobean routes are addictive. To be continued!
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