The Motorcycle Diaries

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Find your sense of adventure and set out on the open road with Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in the beautiful coming-of-age film The Motorcycle Diaries. Starring the internationally acclaimed actor Gael Garcia Bernal, the film follows the early memoirs of Ernesto Guevara, who later became the Cuban revolutionary.

The Motorcycle Diaries is available on DVD 27th December 2004 from Pathé Distribution Ltd.

Ernesto Guevara (Bernal; Y Tu Mama Tambien, Bad Education) is a 23-year-old medical student specialising in leprology. His passion for adventure and search for freedom shapes the man who will become 'le Che'. His travelling companion is Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) - a spirited, fun-loving biochemist and the proud owner of La Poderosa (The Mighty One), a 1939 Norton 500 motorcycle.

After a visit with Ernesto's aristocratic girlfriend Chichina Ferreyra (Mia Maestro, Frida), the two friends embark on a road trip of discovery on La Poderosa. Their route takes them through some of Latin America's most wild and exciting terrain. As Ernesto and Granado travel through the land and across borders, they encounter their first taste of political injustice when they meet an impoverished migrant couple looking for work. From this point on, their idealistic view of Latin America starts to dissolve.

When La Poderosa finally gives up life, the two are forced to seek other means of travel. With limited funds and a lot of imagination they are able to carry on their adventure. They arrive in Lima to meet with an important leper researcher Dr. Pesce, who arranges work in a leper colony in the heart of the Amazon. This experience changes their already shifting perspective and defines their ethical and political views.

Directed by the award-winning Walter Salles (Central Station, Behind The Sun), The Motorcycle Diaries showcases stunning performances from Bernal and De la Serna. Both moving and funny in equal parts, the film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Live the journey and explore Latin America with The Motorcycle Diaries on DVD and video this December.