About the video project
Cape Town to Cairo
Airstreams Across Africa - The Legacy of Wally Byam’s Airstream Experience:
A 50th Anniversary Documentary for Television
Introduction
The year 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of Wally Byam’s famed Cape Town to Cairo African Caravan Adventure. This historical event was an overland, 221-day, 14,000-mile journey embarked upon by 106 Caravanners in 41 Airstream™ travel trailers. These adventurers traveled across Africa, lived to tell the tale, and (so we are told) are still talked about in parts of Africa along their original route.
Wally Byam’s Airstream travel trailer is an American icon of design and product integrity as well as a symbol of a carefree, adventurous way of life. To this day, Airstreamers travel the world, making friends with people from all walks of life. This anniversary provides the motivation for Airstreamers to re-visit the challenge that is Africa, once again embracing the humanity and participating in the community that Wally Byam endorsed in his life and in his book, Trailer Travel Here and Abroad. When asked almost 50 years ago by the Emperor Haile Selassie why the Caravanners made “all these trips,” Wally explained, “a little direct people-to-people exchange . . . might . . . do some good. Having fun, exchanging views, making friends – these were our simple purposes, and we thought that the more there was of such activities, the better it would be for everyone” (Byam p. 296). As modern Airstreamers, we ascribe to Wally’s creed and seek to fulfill these same, simple purposes in our own modern version of Wally’s 1959 vision.
This documentary will be aimed at exploring the original adventure, comparing and contrasting the modern trip with its historical predecessor, providing viewers with information about the modern route countries and the stories of the Airstreamers and the people they encounter, and providing viewers with an entertaining, armchair adventure experience. Archival footage of the original trip (to which Moriarty Media has right of story and footage use as per MOU with Airstream, Inc.) and modern interviews with original Caravanners, their descendants, and staff from the 1959 African Caravan will add to the historical authenticity and visual interest of the documentary. Moriarty Media also has an MOU with the Cape Town to Cairo to Cape Town Caravan Company, a not-for-profit corporation that is re-enacting the caravan as well as a verbal agreement with Jody Aufrichtig of Indigo Properties for Africa Caravan and tow vehicle support.
Moriarty Media is currently seeking additional financing and distribution for this video project. Additional examples of our work can be found at MoriartyMedia.com.
Sincerely yours,
James Elliott Moriarty
Producer/ Director
Moriarty Media
10125 Marwood Trail West Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46280-1741
USA
Email: james@moriartymedia.com
Phone: 317 581 9126
