During the 2022 Dubai Motorcycle Film Festival, Swiss director Claudio von Planta spoke to us regarding the setbacks and professional risks he has experienced throughout his career.
“As a documentary filmmaker, when you end up in jail, you know you’re on to a good story because someone wants to stop you from covering it,” highlighted Claudia von Planta and generous.
He then speaks of an incident in which he was stopped at a police checkpoint in the North-West Frontier Province (today, a region of Pakistan) while returning from filming in Afghanistan. “First thing: I was a stranger in a place where I shouldn’t be; second thing: my visa had expired,” he explains before adding: “The policeman wanted to get a bribe, I had to pay a commission as a fine, but I had no cash. So he kept us in the cell for the night,” he says. In the end, his stay in prison will last a month.
His TV series inspired a new generation of bikers
But Claudio von Planta is best known for his work as a cameraman on British television series “Long Way Up”, “Long Way Down” et “Long Way Round” where actor Ewan McGregor, British presenter Charley Boorman and himself traveled the world on motorcycles.
The show won over a large following of motorcycle enthusiasts and also inspired a new generation to hit the road on a big bike. “It’s impressive: there’s a vibrant biker community here,” says Claudio Von Planta during dubai festival. “All of a sudden I realize that many people have been inspired by the show Long Way Round,” he said. “That’s what drove them to get their license, buy a motorbike and explore the world,” he indicates.
Experience in conflict zones
Claudio von Planta says he got the job on the “Long Way” shows thanks to his early career as a documentary filmmaker in conflict zones and his military service in Switzerland.
He says “mainly to have learned there what the effects of the weapons are. I knew the infantry weapons, machine guns, grenades, mines, mortars, I knew what it did and it helps you to assess the situation and know where and when you need to take cover,” he insists.
His experience in conflict zones “is probably one of the reasons why [il a] got hired on the ‘Long Way’ show because they needed a guy who might do it all on his own because they only had a third bike,” he laughs.