A brief presentation of the IN VIA Project
by Jokūbas Vilius Tūras
The IN VIA Project consists of two parts:
a. A pilgrimage and its account on a film medium
b. Production of a film after the pilgrimage
About the project:
The IN VIA Project is a six-month walking pilgrimage by a Lithuanian from Vilnius to Santiago de Compostela along the Way of Saint James via Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain starting on 5 January 2010 and ending on 27 July 2010 and the production of a film about it.
Covering 20 to 30 km each day, I will record the most interesting and spectacular places and landscapes, welcoming or not so welcoming people on the streets, in the houses and monasteries in cities, towns and villages along the route sharing their thoughts on freedom, love, faith and the God. The pilgrimage-based film to be produced on return to Vilnius will display a gallery of European people‘s portraits, their views on life and this kind of travel – pilgrimage. The film will convey the people‘s met on the road search for motivation and meaning of life, their different answers to the essential questions of life and being.
25th July in 2010 falls on a Sunday, so Santiago de Compostela will be celebrating the Holy Year of the Apostle James. The year is declared holy whenever the Day of St James, 25th July, falls on a Sunday. Plenary indulgence given in the Holy Year has attracted countless pilgrims from around the world since medieval times. The next Holy Year will be celebrated in 11 years.
Having walked the Way of Saint James from St Jean Pied de Port, France (800 km) in 2007 and from León, the Spanish Province of Castilla (300 km) in 2008, I feel well-prepared for this pilgrimage. Besides, I‘m going to use the filmed material from the previous journeys in the production of the film on this big pilgrimage.
The film will reveal the meaning and significance of such expeditions nowadays. Since ancient times, pilgrimages have helped one to open for important inner changes, providing encounters with many good people from around the world, have paved the way for one‘s personal growth, strengthened faith and returned hope and a feel of communion. The Way of Saint James has played arguably the greatest role in establishing the Christian identity in European history. Out of the main pilgrim routes (the other two lead to Rome and to Jerusaleum), the Way of Saint James is considered the most important one. With numerous objects of historic and cultural heritage, this route has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the Holy Year 2010, Santiago de Compostela will meet pilgrims with a great number of spectacular events.
Itinerary of the pilgrimage 5 January – 27 July 2010
(distance in / days to be covered in)
VILNIUS – LAZDIJAI 153/6
LAZDIJAI – SUWALKI 70 /3
SUWALKI – OLSZTYN 211 /10
OLSZTYN – TORUN 200/ 9
TORUN – POZNAN 216/10
POZNAN – DRESDEN 400/18
DRESDEN – CARLSBAD (KARLOVY VARY) 150/6
CARLSBAD (KARLOVY VARY) – NUREMBERG 220/9
NUREMBERG – ZURICH 420/17
ZURICH – BERN 125/5
BERN – LAUSANNE 90/4
(or BERN – MONTREUX - LAUSANNE 120)
LAUSANNE – GENEVE 63/3
GENEVE – LYON 160 /7
LYON - LE PUY-en-VELAY 150/6
LE PUY-en-VELAY – ST. JEAN PIED DE PORT 800/36
ST. JEAN PIED DE PORT – SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA 800 /36
In total: approx. 4300 km 185 days
01/02/10 at 5:04pm
