5 star breathtaking and thought provoking journey.
The Road To Patagonia is a 2025 Australian travel documentary, co-written by Mike Balson and Matty Hannon, who also directs this remarkable and intimate account of his physical and spiritual journey.
The Road to Patagonia will be available exclusively on the Icon Film Channel from 30th May, in select UK Cinemas from 27th June and on Home Entertainment from 28th July courtesy of Kaleidoscope.
“Maybe you’re wondering why I’d even get back in that van. Or what I’m doing in the middle of Alaska. But my guess is that you wanna know who’s talking to ya. So bear with me and I’ll try to explain.”
Matty Hannon was born in Australia and growing up he always dreamed of the ocean. As soon as he was old enough he headed for the coast to learn how to surf and to study Ecology. When his research led him to a book about the Mentawai Shaman, he packed up and headed to Indonesia to work, living alongside them and learning their culture.
Eventually heading home to his family in Melbourne, he become caught up in the daily grind of city life and began to suffer with depression. Having saved enough money, he commissioned a motorcycle sidecar that would carry all of his belongings, camping gear and surf boards included and bought a one way ticket to Alaska.
His plan was to undertake a 50,000km journey, to ride and surf the West Coast of the Americas, from the top of Alaska right down to the tip of South America and Patagonia. This decision would change his life as he encountered many different peoples and cultures. In British Columbia, Canada, he met Heather, a young organic farmer and surfer with whom he felt a connection.
“We caught a few waves together and in between she made me laugh by randomly grabbing pieces of seaweed and stuffing them in her mouth.”
With Heather along on his journey, they explore their own relationship as well as the relationships shared by all things with the world around them. They discover the thinking behind animism and catch glimpses of what has been lost to modern society.
Their shared thoughts on this adventure are offered unfiltered and honestly and really do give you pause for thought. The relationships they form not just with each other but also the four horses Salvador, Pichi, Blacky and Harimau, who join them on their quest, are deeply moving to watch. 
This documentary is a love letter to life, connection, nature, people and the natural world that shows us that despite the destruction happening around us, there is always room for hope and evolution.
Matty is insightful and presents his thoughts extremely eloquently, he’s a delight to listen to and I wished the film was longer. Absolutely beautiful, educational and with stunning scenery and cinematography, this documentary is very much worth a watch.
“One photo in particular caught my attention. A happy young boy eating a roasted dragonfly as a treat. I was fascinated with how different their lives were to mine.”
The Road to Patagonia will be available exclusively on the Icon Film Channel from 30th May, in select UK Cinemas from 27th June and on Home Entertainment from 28th July
| Director | Matty Hannon |
| Genre | Documentary, travel |
| Starring | Matty Hannon, Heather Hillier, |