IT WAS CRAZY, IT WAS UNTHINKABLE.

IT WAS THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME.

READ THE STORY

“One of the finest real-life adventurestories of our time.”

Robert Stewart, Montreal Gazette

“WOW! Mesmerizing. An authentic film about a decidedly  authentic and extraordinary individual.

Hana Gartner from CBC’s Fifth Estate

“An incredible film. Congratulations.”

James Raffan, Writer, Explorer,  Canadian Canoe Museum

“I applaud Don Starkell and his son for the success of their remarkable and memorable journey.”

Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Prime Minister Of Canada

“Courageous, sensitive, exciting and always immediate.”

Tim Cahill, New York Times

Inspired by the book

Embark on an extraordinary journey with “Paddle to the Amazon,”as a courageous father and son undertake a thrilling two-year, 20,000kmexpedition to Brazil’s majestic Amazon River. This epic tale unfolds with encounters with pirates, near-death experiences, battling ferocious hurricanes, desperate moments of hunger, their resilience is truly remarkable.Witness their triumph against all odds, ultimately earning them a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Brace yourself for an awe-inspiring adventurethat will leave you breathless.

About the Documentary – Feature documentary Paddle To The Amazon was inspired by the book written by Don Starkell. It tells the story of a father and sons journey through deeply personal interviews.
This film is a soulful journey of passion and determination and captures the inspirational message the Starkell’s expressed to follow your dreams.

Chris Forde

Don Starkell (December 7, 1932 – January 28, 2012) was a Canadian adventurer, athlete and author who lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
He took up canoeing in his teens winning many competitions. He competed professionally as a canoeist and in 1967, his team from Manitoba competed in the Expo 67 Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant race from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta to Montreal, Quebec winning the race.
After completing the Amazon trip he later paddled to the Arctic across, “The roof of the world” through the historic Northwest Passage when he nearly froze to death in his kayak. It was the longest self-propelled kayak trip in Canadian Arctic history.
He counts his children as his greatest success.

Dana Starkell is a professional musician well recognized for his skills as a classical guitarist. His education into classical guitar began when he brought a guitar on the Amazon trip. Miraculously it survived the many mishaps they encountered.
He has received numerous awards as a special events performer and has held concert performances in the USA, Canada, Trinidad, and Brazil.
Dana Starkell is a motivational speaker and music publisher who has recorded 7 classical guitar albums and published 7 guitar books
Dana is based in the Quad Cities, Iowa with his wife Stacey and son Davie and performs throughout the Midwest.

Chris Forde a documentary filmmaker was educated at the Ontario College of Art graduated in film studies. He has worked in broadcast as both a director of photography and senior story editor.
Chris has traveled the world extensively for NGO’s capturing stories from some of the most dangerous and harshest environments. His reel of work includes climbing Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, heart-wrenching stories of the people suffering Droughts, Refugee camps and glass’s distribution for the Cambodian
Chris’s introduction to documentary film making came after reading the book Paddle to the Amazon.  Link to Bio

New Canadian Canoe Museum

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