7 pm

The 500-mile Camino de Santiago is no small undertaking, yet hundreds of thousands of people embark on the journey across this rugged and photogenic landscape each year. Whatever their motivations, no one can predict just how their paths will unfold or what transformations they will undergo. Walking the Camino follows a diverse group of pilgrims, ages 3 to 73, from all over the world as they attempt to cross an entire country on foot with only a backpack, a pair of boots, and an open mind. Featuring breathtaking vistas and engaging characters, the Camino comes to life in this inspiring look at its magnetic and miraculous power to change lives. Presented in partnership with Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Resource Center as part of the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series.

Walking the Camino will be introduced by Antonio Caballero, director of the Spanish Resource Center at the NHCC, and the film’s director Lydia Smith, and followed by a Q& A with Lydia Smith.

2014; Lydia B. Smith; English; 84 minutes; not rated.
Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

The Camino de Santiago (“Way of St. James”) is a large network of ancient pilgrimage routes that stretch across Europe and come together at the tomb of the apostle St. James (Santiago) in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Since the beginning of the 9th century, when the tomb was discovered, Santiago de Compostela has been a pan-European place of peregrination. The city’s Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and the European Union declared the Camino de Santiago to be the first European Cultural Itinerary in 1987. According to Catholic tradition, completing a pilgrimage on the Camino, some 500 miles along the major routes, assures forgiveness of one’s sins. The walk now attracts people of all faiths and backgrounds, and over 200,000 contemporary pilgrims embark on the journey each year.

The April films, as well as the first May film, in the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series, presented in partnership with Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Resource Center, have been selected for their insights into different elements of the Way, capturing the spiritual significance and the rich history of this iconic pilgrimage.