Product description Running the Sahara is a 2007 documentary feature film that chronicles Ray Zahab, Charlie Engle, and Kevin Lin's attempt to run across the entire Sahara desert. They traveled a total of 6920 kilometers, reaching the Red Sea on February 20, 2007. About the Actor Matt Damon, Produced and Narrated Running The Sahara and focused on the film's ability to bring light to the water crisis in Africa. Matt's philanthropic interests have always been a part of his career. He was the founder of H2O Africa Foundation, the charitable arm of the Running the Sahara expedition, which merged with WaterPartners to create Water.org in July 2009. Along with frequent co-stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt, supports ONE, a campaign fighting AIDS and poverty in Third World countries. He has appeared in their print and television advertising. Damon is also an ambassador for OneXOne, a non-profit foundation committed to supporting, preserving and improving the lives of children at home in Canada, the United States, and around the world. Damon, along with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, and Jerry Weintraub, is one of the founders of Not On Our Watch, an organization that focuses global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities such as in Darfur. Charlie Engle, USA Expedition Team Leader / Expedition Originator A 42-year-old American father of two boys, a television producer, and one of the best ultra distance marathon runners in the world today, Engle has been a runner, climber, and adventure racer for more than 30 years. He recently finished first in both a race across the Gobi Desert and in a seven-day race through the jungle. He has crossed the Atacama Desert in Chile, charted the jungles of Vietnam and Borneo, climbed to the top of the volcanoes in Ecuador, summited Mt. McKinley, and has run across Death Valley. He sees running the Sahara as a personal quest to find fulfillment through both physical and mental challenges, believing that it will be an unparalleled journey of discovery. Ray Zahab, Canada Late in 1998, Ray made a life changing decision to leave a pack-a-day smoking habit and very unhealthy life choices behind him. On New Year's Day 2000, he decided to go hiking with his brother John and has never looked back. New to the sport of running in 2004, ultra-marathoning took Ray from the cold north of Canada to the jungle. But it was the Sahara desert that ultimately captured Ray's heart. After witnessing and experiencing the water crisis and malaria epidemic in Africa, Ray decided to dedicate his future adventures to raising awareness and funding for causes that he supports and believes in..Ray is a member of the board of Directors of the Ryan's Well Foundation, is the official Athletic Ambassador to the ONExONE organization, and is a representative of SpreadTheNet and the founder of Impossible2Possible. On January 7, 2009 Ray and two other Canadians, broke the world speed record from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole. In the process, Ray became the first person to trek to the South Pole on this traditional 1130 km route solely on foot. This expedition provided young people with an interactive platform and educational resources through a ground-breaking website. Kevin Lin, Taiwan 28 years old and living like a rock star in Taipei, Taiwan, Kevin is one of the most well known endurance athletes in all of Asia. A full-time graduate student, he recently won the first ever 150-mile (241-kilometer) race across the Atacama Desert in Chile, dancing across the finish line while more than half the field had to be rescued from the course. P.when('A').execute(function(A) { A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse', function(data) { window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); About the Director James Moll, was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania hence, the name of the company. His work as a documentary director/producer has earned numerous awards including the Academy Award®, two Emmy Awards®, the Peabody Award, Edward R. Murrow Award, Cable Ace, and the Christopher, among others. See more
L**,
Charlie is the most unlikeable personality I've ever seen in a documentary
I would have absolutely LOVED this documentary if it weren't for the egomaniacal and deceitful personality of Charlie Engle. It doesn't surprise me one bit that he's currently serving time in prison for mortgage fraud. Not only is he a criminal and a cheat, but he's a miserable excuse for a friend and team mate. Multiple times throughout the video you see evidence of his controlling, manipulating and egomaniacal personality. I was almost hoping that he would have to pull out of the run so I could pull for Ray and Kevin, who were both truly inspirational and likable individuals. Some examples of Charlie's self serving, ungrateful ways were.... blasting members of his support team for their desire to keep their previous commitments, (when the run went WAY over it's originally anticipated time frame) "running" ahead of Ray and Kevin with seemingly every intention and even a desire to "finish first" in what was NEVER meant to be a competition, (when the agreement was he would walk until Ray and Kevin caught up)to even making sure that he was the first of the three to put his hand in the Red Sea. (I watched this particular scene a few time, and this observation is not imagined) The bottom line is that this is absolutely a memorable documentary and I found myself relating to two of the three runners. Regardless of how impressive the feat was and how honorable it is to raise money to insure fresh water in Niger, Charlie Engle comes across as a despicable, pathetic human being, who deserves exactly what he got! PS I actually felt bad for his girlfriend, who seemed like a really classy lady.
D**D
Absolutely Mesmerizing!
Running The Sahara is a brilliant documentary documenting three individuals - Charlie, Ray and Kevin - who attempt to run across the the entirety of the Sahara - from Senegal to the Red Sea. The film shadows the three runners at home and on the journey. The film tracks their 111 day journey across the Sahara through sickness, wind, sand storms, getting lost and visiting with old friends and new friends they meet along the way. They go through more than 100 pairs of running shoes and battle mental and physical fatigue to pursue a never before done feat.The film's executive producer - Matt Damon - narrates this film and the cinematography is nothing short of a feature film. The camera moves, angles and the use of the "russian arm" car mounted camera jib provides some of the most spectacular images across the desert.Running the Sahara: Beyond the Expedition is a 45 minutes "behind the scenes" view of the documentary expedition and highlights some of the struggles the expedition faced including gaining permission to enter Libya. If you love running or great documentary, you will want to watch this epic documentary.
A**R
Great runners! respect
You want more! Only runners watch this. Its so incredible interesting that they did it all three! How did they come together? The presentation in the beginning is so breef, so quick. You want more slow and long running pictures, a minute is long in a film it should have been more long sequenses with the three runners. And of course HOW COULD HE CHICKEN OUT???? " I have other oblgations" My ass! this was the one thing, a once in a life time thing and he is not there!? The man who made it possible left them WHAT is that? so embarrassing to watch. Great runners! respect! Love the film How come Matt Damon is in this? is he a runner (dumb question of course he must be :))
D**R
Conquer Your Distance
Running The Sahara is more than a tutorial on endurance. It is an interactive experience with multiple interesting tidbits that will fuel your next adventure. I have watched this movie several times and reflected on the commitment of these three athletes in their most trying scenarios when turning-over deep in a tough 20-miler. My personal resume (for credibility) is 39 full marathons and completed-to-this-date 37 weeks of 100+ miles/week with the goal of one year...still running.
A**R
Great book
Loved itInspiring!
B**L
Great!
this was exactly what my brother in law was looking for! He loved it! It was delivered and everything was great!
C**Z
Makes me want to run with them
Great story and even great for watching while I'm on the mill on long runs. Sadly my neighbor hood is not safe for running outdoors so it's a good movie to run to.
C**N
Great Movie
Great Movie, Definitely worth seeing. Extremely inspiring and really shows how your mind will quite before your body. You'll learn that your body is capable of so much more than your mind will tell you it.Matt Damon did a great job narrating.
J**6
Good movie
Great film
J**L
Enter the world of ultra running.
The film is an extract from a book, which I have read twice. The book superbly creates the context for Running the Sahara, itself, an interesting insight into the world of endurance running and sport generally.
C**Y
Five Stars
Inspirational story of a group of runners challenging an inhospitable area of earth by running through it.
W**R
Five Stars
RECEIVED. PROMPT. AS DESCRIBED. NEW
G**E
Five Stars
Inspiring.
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