- "The Return" - Introduction -

When I first moved from the United States to the Sichuan province in southwest China I couldn’t have imagined what experiences were to follow. 

After having just completed a motorcycle tour around the US and Canada, when I got to China, the itch to ride and discover only got worse.  Motorcycles in China are still mostly 150cc or less and the worst problem is a top speed of about 60km/h when loaded and becomes painfully slow at extremely high altitudes.   The combination of low speeds, vast distances of dramatic terrain and close interactions with locals makes solo traveling Western China unforgettable.

In 2005, I committed myself to reaching the China-Pakistan border, also known as Kashmir, via the most direct route.  Having just gotten my first DSLR, I was excited to capture my experience.  This trip had a catastrophic ending but was a great education.

The following year, in 2006, I went back at it again: same destination, same time, but different route.  On this trip, as well as still cameras, I also brought an old home video camera. Determined to make the most out of it I decided to produce my own movie from “ride to reel”- so to speak.  Just then having become more comfortable with photography, I found myself in a world of web-pages, galleries, video gear, tape libraries, and a host of editing software needing to be learned…and that was just the mental aspect of it.

Physically, recording the ride is extra work. Each time you want to photo/film yourself you need to stop, set up tripod, frame the shot, start recording, ride off, ride back, then check the recording for errors. Behind the camera you’re a kind of technician but in front of the camera you’re a performer: this dichotomy of roles no doubt makes for a personal challenge on many levels.

Whether planning a ride through China or just curious about the culture and lands of the region, I hope some may find "The Return" informative, educational, entertaining, and, if all goes well... a little reflective.

Ride Safe, Have Fun,

- Credits -

Ridden, Produced, Captured, Presented, Directed and Edited by: Carl Parker

Music: Proximity Butterfly

Mixing: Dwarak Warrier

Artwork: Bai Xiao Po, Carl Parker

Support: Good family, friends and strangers

- Format : DVD5, NTSC - Playable in USA (NTSC) and most PAL (Europe and Asia) DVD players

- Running time:~98min

- Available NOW!

- Synopsis -

After a tragic brush with death and stupidity in the previous year's attempt to reach Kashmir from Chengdu, we return to do it again. Packed with sights and sounds of Western China, "The Return" is more than a motorcycle travelogue or documentary.

As a one man production, direction and editing unit, Carl Parker, through use of photo, video, and artwork, brings us to places, cultures and experiences rarely ever seen by travelers in one of the most amazing parts of the world - Western China.

At over 4500m, stay the night with a family of Tibetan yak herders. At -130m we'll explore some of the ancient cities of the Silk Road and find out a little about how people have survived in the world's largest deserts for thousands of years. More than this though, there's a story to tell.

Where amazing landscapes and mindscape meet, learn about a rider pushed to the limits of his body and mind and what he went through to get there and come back again.

- Reviews -

"One man film crew Carl Parker shows us a part of the world rarely seen. The film resonates with gutsy energy giving adventure and travelogues a new meaning.

Carl scores on all fronts, be it as a first time film maker or as a presenter. His personality, presentation and the beautiful landscapes he takes us through, makes this film a must watch."

- Gaurav Jani (director and producer of award winning moto-documentary "Riding Solo to the Top of the World", by DirtTrack Productions)