Watch I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You

I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You is a mesmerizing Brazilian road movie that follows a professional geologist, Jose Renato (played by Irandhir Santos), as he embarks on a solo research trip across the Northeast region of Brazil. Jose is assigned to evaluate the geological dynamics of the area where a massive irrigation system is being built, and his task involves collecting soil and water samples from various locations.

The film is shot in a pseudo-documentary style, which makes it feel like a real-life journey rather than a fictional story. The camera follows Jose as he drives along bumpy dirt roads, crosses rivers, and explores remote villages. Although he is always surrounded by breathtaking scenery, the film never hesitates to show the harsh realities of life in the sertao (Brazilian hinterland), such as poverty, drought, and political corruption.

As Jose travels deeper into the Northeast, he becomes more introspective and vulnerable. He records his thoughts in a tape recorder, which serves as a confessional booth of sorts. It is through these recordings that we learn about his personal life - his failed marriage, his distant daughter, his lost love. Jose's inner monologue is poetic and poignant, reflecting on the human condition and the existential crises that we all face.

Throughout his journey, Jose encounters various people who leave a lasting impression on him. He meets a young girl named Maria (played by Soia Lira) who sells souvenirs on the roadside and dreams of leaving her small town. He meets a group of fishermen who take him on their boat and tell him their stories about the changing ocean. He meets a truck driver who shares his passion for music and gives him a mixtape.

The interactions with these strangers highlight the universal themes of the movie - loneliness, connection, empathy. Although Jose is a scientific expert, he is just as interested in the human aspect of his job as he is in the geological aspect. He views the landscape through the lens of memory and emotion, and he sees the people he meets as potential friends and allies in his journey.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is its use of sound. The natural sounds of the Northeast - the wind, the insects, the birds - are amplified, creating a symphony of ambient noise. The soundtrack, composed by Fernando Catatau, is a mix of experimental rock, traditional Brazilian music, and field recordings. The music serves as a counterpoint to Jose's voice, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that evokes both the beauty and the strangeness of the sertao.

The film was directed by Marcelo Gomes and Karim Ainouz, two of the most prominent Brazilian directors of the past decade. Gomes and Ainouz are known for their poetic and politically engaged films, and I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You is no exception. The movie is a commentary on the environmental, social, and cultural issues that affect the Northeast region of Brazil, but it is also a deeply personal and spiritual work, exploring the limits of knowledge and the power of empathy.

In conclusion, I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You is a stunning work of art that transcends genre and language. It is a road movie, a love story, a documentary, a musical, and a poem all at once. It is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the beauty of the natural world. It is a must-see for anyone who wants to experience the magic of Brazil and the power of cinema.

I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You is a 2009 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 10 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1 and a MetaScore of 87.