Big River Man (2009) Movie Script
When I see a swimmer,
I paint a drowned man.
Jacques Prevert
Is that OK?
I am going to do,
no man has ever done,
swim at the Amazon.
I'm Martin Strel.
I'm going to do...
FEBRUARY 2, 2006
...what...
what no one has never do.
...what no one has ever done.
...what no man has never do.
...what no one has ever done.
swim at the Amazon.
I'm Martin Strel.
I'm going to do, what...
no man has never...
It's Ok.
It's Ok.
...no man has ever done.
I'm Martin Strel.
I'm going to do,
what no man has never do,
swim at the Amazon.
This is Martin Strel,
the most famous endurance
swimmer in the world.
He's the only person
to swim the Mississippi
and the Yangtze rivers.
Now in 2007,
he will be attempt to
be the first person,
to swim at the Amazon.
My father is not an average
world famous athlete.
First of all,
he's little bit over weight,
maybe even
very over weight.
Second, he's a big drinker.
Even while he's swimming,
he drinks two bottles
of wine a day.
Thirdly,
he's accomplished most of his
fits over the age of 45.
When he swims at the Amazon,
he'll be 53 years old.
How long does he
swim without stopping?
That's a good question.
How long does you
swim without stopping?
Average. Every day.
Average, every day?
-50, 60 miles.
Without stopping?
-Yeah, non-stop.
What he say?
-Without stopping per a day.
Yeah, per a day.
-Yes.
What's your name?
I'm worried for my
father's safety
but more I worried for
my father's health.
When he's swimming
in the Yangtze,
the world's most
polluted river,
he became so ill
I didn't know
if he would survive.
I wanted to make him stop
but I couldn't.
Swimming in the world's
most polluted rivers
is the family business.
BORUT STREL
My name is Borut Strel,
I am Martin Strel's son
but I am also his
main assistant.
My main job is
helping my father at his
swimming adventures.
I am the head of logistic.
I coordinate
the whole team.
YANGTZE SWIM 2004
I help incurred him
all the time and we trust
each other the most.
He swims through
this dirty waters
hoping to race the illness
and the disappearance of clean
waters around the world.
But the Amazon is
a special problem.
In the river
has crocodiles,
deadly fish and snakes,
parasites and insects,
many of which is be
hard to avoid.
The deadly can the Candirue fish
can swim up your penis
and if it does
no more penis.
Martin understands
this dangerous
but he consider this dangerous to
the Amazon more serious.
If the global attention is
not pay immediately
to the rapid destruction
of the rain forest
then will all be in
very serious trouble.
Martin hopes that his swim
will inspire people
to wake up and care
about saving this lands.
I don't know how I
feel about this swim.
When he was finishing
the Yangtze swim 2004
he was saying, I am not gonna
do anything more swims.
It's too hard,
too hot,
too much infections,
too much troubles
but then after a
couple of months
when he recovered,
he just came up with
another idea over night,
I am going to the Amazon.
SLOVENIA,
February 2006
TRAINING FOR
AMAZON BEGINS
My father Martin
is very famous in Slovenia
but even when he's
going abroad
he's very famous too.
Some people say that he's
like an Slovenian ambassador.
Slovenia's shape
is like a chicken.
Slovenia's shape
is like a chicken.
Head...you can see.
Some people say
it's no big deal
to swim downstream with
current. I say to them
trying by selfs.
When Martin swims 60 miles
per a day downstream
means the same as swimming
on a still water.
Try doing that every
day for 75 days
when you are
and you weight
over 200 pounds.
Amazon swim publicity
campaign Hollywood, California
Where you swimming to?
Acapulco?
It's actually
kind of funny.
He's actually gonna swim
entire Amazon river.
I don't think he's
gonna make it
with all that piranha.
Mokronog, Slovenia
Martin's home town
Martin got a free car
from his sponsor
for the rest of his life.
Mazda was
car of the year...
...in 2004. Mazda was
car of the year.
Many Slovenians are
drunk and drivers.
We are at the top in
Europe by statistics
and my father
Martin is one of them.
But he does
when he drives
he eat a lot, drink a lot
and we are at the
phone all the time.
But he is very
good in driving.
He's very good driver
and he can make it
even if he's drunk.
He has a really good
connections with policeman.
They stop him, hey Martin,
you're drunk.
You are over dozed.
Ok, just come
safe to the home.
We will not give
you a ticket.
You are very
famous people.
Be safe.
Goodbye.
Martin parks this Mazda 626
where ever he wants
and nobody could
stop him.
If I park by myself
I get a ticket right away.
What you want to order?
Horse burger.
-Horse burger, yes.
Many Slovenians
eat horse burgers.
Horse burger is one of the most
popular food in our country.
Me and Martin
love them too.
The horse burger is
like a chicken burger.
The only different is
that is made from horse meat.
Horse burger, yeah.
Horse burger.
He will make it all the
way through on Amazon? -No.
VENICE BEACH, CALIFORNIA
But how far?
I don't know. About is far
he made it on Mississippi river.
You mean all
the way? -No.
You not believe it?
-Nobody's ever done that.
Number seven
on the countdown.
First is swim.
The mighty Mississippi river
it measures over
In 2002 endurance swimmer
Martin Strel took it on.
He swam the entire length
from the Minnesota
to the gulf of Mexico.
A long the way,
Strel battle strong currents
deadly whirlpools
and wishes storms.
starting his record swim
Strel reach the
gulf of Mexico.
Besides be an swimmer
my father has a day job
is a flamenco guitar teacher.
Before that he was a
professional gambler
but that was
before I was born.
KONGO CASINO,
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA
Martin likes to say something
over and over again.
One of this is
if you work you got money
if you not work no money.
I have been professional
gambler, yes
but for that you must
stay here over the night.
I put here 1000 dollars.
If it will be black
It's very simple.
Before I was a swimmer
I was a gambler.
Now I gamble with my life.
Martin was bitten
very badly as a child.
He says that's way
he is able to endure
such an extreme pain.
He promised him self
he would never treat
me at same.
Instead he battle
demons at the rivers.
DANUBE 2000,
MISSISSIPPI 2002,
YANGTZE 2004,
To swim the Amazon
is almost 1000 miles
further then the Yangtze.
It will be the longest,
most dangerous
swimming in history.
My father always told me
that someday he's
going to be somebody.
But he never knew
what to call him self
that people would
remember his name.
I told him
you are Martin Strel.
You are the big river man.
Self pictures presents
in association with
EARTHWORKS FILMS
MARTIN STREL
in
BIG RIVER MAN
SLOVENIA
Lipizzaner horse demonstration
in honor of Martin
AMAZON SWIM
ATLANTIS, WATER PARK
SLOVENIA, LJUBLJANA
This is Atlantis
where Martin has a free
membership here
for the rest of his life.
He's the only
person in Slovenia
with this and the
really in the whole world.
He's like a mascot for them
because of his extreme
achievements
go with the
fact that Atlantis
is the largest
indoor water park
in the whole Europe.
This is where you
can find Martin always
Martin trains every days in
a swimming pool for 5 hours.
He swims 4 km
one hour in the pool
so he's training
At the end of the day
he spends time
some tanning
and tubing at the Atlantis
water slides.
Martin's physical training
is very important.
but his mental training
is maybe even more
important than that.
POSTOJNA CAVE,
SLOVENIA
This is way Martin has
been spending
the whole summer
underground.
He has a special
password
from the Slovenian
government
to enter into a giant cave.
He just typed on his PDA
and the door just open.
Martin does this
it get closer
to the underground
animals.
And I think he's
looking kind of
for a passion how
how all the animals
sleep underground.
that's he's gonna understand in
the Amazon all this animals.
Martin believes that if he
thinks like an animal
while he'll swimming the Amazon
he will not be eaten.
Slovenians likes to do many
things at the same time.
When the Martin is drunk
driving while go in
but also doing
two tabs of training.
He's power breathing
which is good
for his lungs
and he's also
learning English.
"You look young."
"Oh, Mary. I am your
husband Henry."
"I am good looking
in about forty
and I wear glasses."
"Oh, I don't like glasses."
"And you Jessica?"
"What do you do?"
"I am a drug dealer.
-What?"
AMAZON SWIM
Slovenia is one of
the cleanest
countries on the earth
and Martin grows
up swimming
in only pure waters
like a 1000 years ago.
That time was
also communism
and every one was
very depressed.
He was always poor
and lived in the tiny house
from the government.
So Martin would
drink and drink
and then shout
and say: "Goodbye."
I am going away
for a few days.
When I ask him where
he went he would say:
"I just went
to Italy to relax."
U.S. EMBASSY
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA
Martin always says,
to be a winner you must
be a friend of winner.
He knows a lot of them.
One of Martin's
favorite winners
is American ambassador
in Slovenia.
They likes each other
because Martin likes America
and America like him too.
People think Martin is rich
and powerful like them
but it's really
me and Martin
try to save money
for Amazon swim.
"I come and you follow
me with the basket."
"Then bring on
that table."
"OK? Go there."
Mr. ambassador.
Thank you very much.
Good representation.
Bye bye and hope... -Martin.
We will meet each
other again, right?
Bye bye.
-On the web.
He see there all friends
in the same fields.
That's helps
get better votes
and at the end you
become a winner.
Besides a guitar teaching
Martin has to make money
by playing in
Slovenian movies
TV promotions
promoting
his personal wine
doing TV commercials
"When I drink Monster
it makes me feel
totally agrow."
Judging beauty contest
promoting American food chains
"Martin Strel. Give him
an applause here."
and speaking
at conventions.
You said you sell product?
-We sell water.
A what?
-Water. -Water.
Based vacuum cleaners.
Everything about
vacuum cleaners, guys.
Uh, let's go.
Let's go. Let's go.
Mick.
I'm ready.
You know the project
is ready by itself.
We have boats ready.
We have equipment ready.
Of course, we are
advertise Martin's projects
every time he goes.
To make his big projects
we advertise his pictures
his web side
and in a couple of days
in a few days
you will see Ljubljana
actually the whole Slovenia
covered with the billboards
huge jumbo banners
we call them here
and it's gonna to
be Martin's pictures.
I made a design
an art work
with the Amazon
background.
It's like this.
Hey, his picture
look like he's
vibing to the
whole country.
He's kind of putting
vibes on everybody
taking the control
to the whole country
and I'm very proud
I designed that.
Martin is very excited
about this banners.
because he gets
very famous.
NEW YEARS EVE
GOING AWAY PARTY
Martin Strel.
Welcome to Slovenia.
Martin didn't seems
scare at all to leave
but my mom said
he was have nightmares
every night
and wake in
up screaming.
He said he felt like
the whole world
was waiting for him
to jump in the
river and die.
SOUTHWESTERN
PERUVIAN AMAZON
Martin Strel is
attempting to defeat
what is no other
human been done yet.
... but he swears
by the Slovenian
red wine dealing by.
He's already swam
the Danube,
Mississippi
and the Yangtze.
We have an alligators
can be fatalness
then very deadly snakes
including anacondas.
We have the Candirue
which is much fear fish
very small fish
but it's end up in your rigram.
ATALAYA, PERU
We are in
Atalaya, Peru.
This is just
below Machu Picchu
and I'm started
swimming tomorrow
at 8 o'clock in
the Amazon river.
People think that because
we have big
media for swims
that also we
have big publicists
but I'm main
Martin's publicist
and also perform
Martin's voice
for all worldwide interviews
because I understand
what's media likes
and appreciates.
FEBRUARY 1st,2007
Yes, we have
a protection
we have a machetes,
we have guns,
we have knives.
We have all kind,
you know, weapons
on the boat. Well,
for example
is somebody badgering you
and if you need
to kill an animal
you use a gun.
... and I never urinate.
I never urinate
straight into the water.
I always urinate
into my wet suit.
Blood.
Blood, hm?
If piranha for example
start attacking
or something like that
we will through
a bucket of blood
over there on the other
side and you know,
the piranhas
will just redirect there.
You must clean
have to go.
Mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes.
FEBRUARY 1st, 2007
AMAZON SWIM, DAY 1
The chances
of Martin die
on the first day of the swim
were pretty high.
It had been raining
for a weeks
and the river was
in the flood stages
and since then
had been no one
that have ever
gone in the Amazon
in tvoz like this.
No one knew
what to expect.
Martin! Martin!
Martin! Martin!
After 1100 days
of preparations and training
the Martin finally begin
the first swimming
expedition in history
down the river Amazonas.
And even though
we were scared,
exhausted and totally alone
the day ended perfectly.
Seventy days
that would follow
would be the
strangest of my life
and also the worst.
DAY 2
MATT MOHLKE
NAVIGATOR
Martin is pissed
we forget the machetes.
This is Mathew Mohlke
Martin's head
river navigator.
It is Matt job to make
sure Martin doesn't die
or get lost in one
of the thousand
of channels on Amazon.
He has been with Martin
on expeditions for years.
He lived in Fountain
city, Wisconsin.
Matt is a professional
poker player by night
and at day works for
Sam Welten's family.
He quit his job with them
to come on the
Amazon expedition.
Martin trusts him more
then anyone on the world
except for me
even thought his not a
professional river navigator.
Matt, you know
where we are? -Yes.
It's difficult
to see ahead.
You know?
-Yes. -OK.
Martin is afraid we lost
because he can't
see shit an far.
The problem is
if the river turns quickly
we can't see a coming
and if there a bad water
we are fucked.
We are top on it.
It's too late.
So, it's gonna be a
really dangerous day.
The river was extremely
high and moving fast.
This creates
deadly whirlpools.
This fortacess
can suck down
entire boats full of people
much less a swimmer.
Dangerous, Martin.
More this way.
More this way.
Dangerous.
Sound like fucking
death trip today or something.
I am telling him
it's dangerous
but he swim right into it.
Motherfucker.
STREL'S CREW BOA
This is the Cielito Linda
the boat we will be living on
for the next three weeks.
People told us
it was the
worst boat in Peru
and they were right.
It was a very bad boat.
ALFREDO CHAVEZ
BOAT CAPTAIN
This is Alfredo Chavez
captain of the Cielito Linda.
I was concern
that our boat
will crushing the banks
like a pink pound
after only two days
but Alfredo said
things like this
happen a lot in Peru.
No need to worried about.
Alfredo is a very special
taboo Amazon to the guy.
Alfred said
there are three
rules in Peru.
The first is to through
away your plan A
the second is to through
away your plan B
and the third is to relax.
Peruvians accept
they can not control nature
and especially not
the Amazon river.
We would have
to do the same
or the river would break
us by the end.
He ask me where
we were this morning.
I'm natural guy. I don't
know how to use GPS.
I'm learning.
I just have...
first training yesterday.
Borut teach me how.
So, when we have fog
like that Martin ask me:
"Do you know
where we are?"
Look, I don't
know where we are.
We are lost in
Amazon somewhere but
I just try to find
the best curve
and keep him not to hit
by a damn log or
something.
You know, he cuts
right through.
I mean, that tree gonna stick
right through his stomach.
There had been
so much rain
that whole
pieces of forest
was floating down
stream with Martin.
They were as heavy
as straight trains
and if they hit him
he would be dead.
I'm pretty good
in the river
but I'm just a fisherman
from Wisconsin.
I'm doing this for free.
I'm doing this for adventure.
If Martin wants
to give a big money
he can get the experienced
Amazon river guy.
I'll do the best I can.
I learning the GPS,
I learning the maps.
When he ask
where we are
just tell him like I
know where we are.
The doctor said
Martin's blood pressure
was already
dangerously high.
RIFAT LATIFI
PHYSICIAN
I examined Martin Strel briefly
and measured
the blood pressure.
It was 150\95.
Anybody else with
elevated blood pressure
probably should be
evaluate and not start
swim in the Amazon.
He said that Martin
needed to stop swimming
if he wanted
to avoid the stroke
but Martin wouldn't stop.
PERUVIAN AMAZON
On expeditions
Martin usually sleep
only 4 hours at night.
The currents had die down
but know he was getting
more and more sun burn.
He has second
degree burns
all over his face.
And he thought
that cure for this
was more beer.
But doctors told him
it only makes him
more dehydrating.
I try to convince him
to stop drinking
so much at night
but I couldn't.
DAY 6, SOMEWHERE
IN PERUVIAN AMAZON
Incredible.
What a freak.
Martin expect rain
more of the heavy rain
in the Amazon.
We haven't much rain
in the last of few weeks.
So, it is crazy
how the weather
is happening.
Will be worm or
something is happening
down here?
Completely unusual.
And he has some kind of
terrible sun burn.
In this part of the earth
the sun can give you
a cancer disease
on the skin
is from the pleasure
somebody doing this
crazy shit.
In 2005 the
Peruvian Amazon
experience the worst
drought in 40 years.
This was a crises for
an indigence people
on a massive scale.
People had to be
air lifted out
and food had to be air
lifted in by helicopters
just like in New
Orleans the same year.
The scientists has
blamed for draught
a higher ocean temperatures
caused by global warming.
Rising air in the Atlantic
pushing Amazon clouds away
which stops rainfall
and kills the forest.
The scientists say
the global worming
is the biggest single threat
to the rain forest
because lowest rainfall
can easily turn the rain
forest into a desert.
Even though it was a
middle of rainy season
and had rain at the end
but hadn't rain for
at weeks on a river.
Without a rain
sunburn would
fry a Martin's skin
like a piece of bacon
until it melted
off his face.
And he was
already looking
piece of beef jerky.
Finally I couldn't
take any more
and came up with
genius original idea
that would change the
Amazon swim forever.
The wait mask style
which was
actually my idea
allowed Martin to swim in
global worming conditions
and created an unique
style an Amazon swimming
that made headlines
around the world.
IQUITOS, PERU
The wait mask
got the sun off
and got him
back to normal
but he was coming down
with another worsen
problem.
Martin's wetsuit swim
smells like a shit.
Probably because
he shit inside
and all that dirty water
all that dust and garbage
that flows down the Amazon.
Of course,
get inside of his body
and that's way is
smells really bad.
Bad day for me today.
YANGTZE SWIM
On the Yangtze
Martin swimming in the most
dangerous rapids
that human
ever swimming.
In the great gor
with no support services
on either side of the river.
Martin swam alone
through class 6 rapids
on one of
the most polluted
and dangerous rivers
on the world.
The river was so toxic
that's Martin's blood
had to be washed
every day by doctors.
Martin was even
swimming pass
dead bodies in the water.
DR. MATEJA DE
LEONNI STANONIK
PHYSICIAN
This is dr. Mateja.
Martin's biggest fan
and personal doctor.
She is a brain surgeon here
to make sure nothing
happened to Martin's brain.
She's also looking into
his heart and lungs
but she wouldnt
have a microscope
to see all that parasites
in the Amazon
that entering into
Martin's body every day.
I was so used
to watching Martin's
battle polluted rivers
that I expected that Amazon
would be the same.
But that was shocked
to find that Amazon
was a clean river
with virgin forest
along the banks
and not a single
piece of trash
for a hundreds of miles.
It was like a river
at the beginning of time
before man's kind.
Martin said it was
clean enough to drink
but I told him
to stop drinking it
because it will
make him sick.
DAY 9
I don't know
what we can do to...
Well, I think,
you know, Martin
he's always
like you know,
very tired
but still have some...
still has some
extra power.
-Yeah.
You remember him
on the Mississippi.
He came out from the
water and couldn't walk.
We brought him in
the car, in the van
you know and
he didn't even eat.
You remember some...?
-That was 60. day.
Yeah, it was at the end.
-Yeah.
Toda is 9.day.
And he is,
I hate to say but is like
his fallen apart.
He's fucking feather.
He shouldn't have
a shoulder problems
quite yet.
It's too early for that man.
He needs to be absorb
this destiruations
through curse in
this expedition
but in 9.days
he lost 11 or 12 pounds.
How much is he lost?
-Yeah, something like that.
Yeah, that's nine days.
I mean,
he's gonna fall
through own
bang hole by the
end of this trip.
PEBAS, PERU
If you ask Martin
what is the most
dangerous thing
on the Amazon was
he would says people.
Martin only believes and
trust completely
animals, rivers and Indians.
These are the only
living beings I think
that truly understands
Martin also.
In the town of Pebas
Martin swam up to an
ancient Indian tribe.
They were called
the Yagua tribe.
I'm afraid must sad
that they are
one of the last
original tribes on Amazon.
When I was kayaking
in escorting him in
down the Danube
he was telling me
the personal stories
that I could never
hear from him
standing on two legs.
One of this was
that his father was
so unsatisfied
with his life
that he would take out
all his rage on Martin.
When the father
had been drinking
Martin was so scared to
come home in the house
that he ended up
sleeping in the barn.
His mother would
set him out
the clothes and
food each night.
My grandmother said
Martin actually
spend the most
of his childhood
in that barn.
When in one occasion
Martin was been chased
and jump in an freezing
creek to escape
the father waiting for
him on the banks
so Martin
swam downstream.
The father walked
alongside him
for a long time
but Martin swam so far
that father gave up
and went home.
This was Martin's
first endurance swim.
I think he
repeat something
of this same feeling
on every expedition.
There are many myths in
creatures lives in Amazon.
One of the myths
is about wild man
who lives in the
underground world
beneath the river.
He's call the Pishtakos
and if you see him
his bringing
the apocalypse.
That's way Indians never
swim in the main channel.
They were afraid of us
because they thought
we are demons.
Face peelers.
They use this...
They skin it the face
take the fatness
from the humans
after they are killed
and things like
that can actually
they call it these
people, Pishtakos.
Pishtakos.
And he said in front of us
that the captain
and myself...
No, they got to be Pishtakos.
I'm sorry. Look for
another village
but we don't want you
stay here tonight.
Alfred of said they
could just decide
to kill us in the night.
So, we slept
with machetes
but mostly we
didn't sleep at all.
The Amazon is almost
as largest the 48 united states.
People don't realize
that the Amazon
the last frontier on earth.
It is still
There were rivers
that go for 1000 km
that are totally uninhabited.
But people who lived here
are some of the poorest
in the world.
This is the main problem
of Amazon destruction.
For example,
one single mahogany tree
in the Amazon
can be worth up to 20.000$
in Europe or America.
People will cut in entire
road into the forest
just to reach one tree.
This mahogany
tree is are made into
expensive boats
and furniture
but mostly
musical instruments
especially electric guitars.
As of 2006 20% of the
Amazon forest
has been cut down.
At the current
rate of cutting
half of the forest will be
gone in twenty years.
DAY 23
Monkeys around.
In the morning...
In the morning is very...
very exciting.
Talking.
So much crying.
Very famous must be
in the morning.
Early in the morning.
Now it's...
more peace.
More quiet.
Nobody crying,
nobody talking.
Peace... ha, peace.
That's not big town,
Los Angeles.
Many cars.
No cars here.
People need this
but people don't
know what is Amazon
what is jungle.
I can look around
to see some animals.
Must be careful,
ok, but...
I think is not
so dangerous.
It's dangerous
in the bank.
It's dangerous, yeah
but in the water, no.
Every year
it's good to stay
in the jungle
Be big difference
for all the people.
DAY 25,
PERU/BRAZIL BORDER
"Martin Strel,
example for the kids."
When Martin cross
the border to Brazil
there was a huge
party with dancing girls
and marching bands
all saying
how Martin was an
example to children
and all human race.
My father was
the first person
that anyone
had ever seen
that swam to
Brazil from Peru.
All of this people
wanted to hear
what this
man had to say
but instead of speaking
Martin swam away
from the reception
with only the Brazilian
chase boat driver
and left us at the port
not have even a clue
how to find him.
This was for expedition
into the dangerous
night time search.
When we finally picked
up the boat signal at 3.AM
and found him about
he had no explanation.
I had seen this irrational
behavior before
and he never had
an explanation.
The news that there was
a man swimming the Amazon
was spreading fast
through out the Brazil.
We were told that crowds
in the thousands
will be waiting for
Martin downstream.
We did not yet realize
how big this thing
was going to get.
SAN PABLO DE
OLIVENCIA, BRAZIL
His blood pressure
has gone up tremendously
and that's quite worried.
I've been monitoring
this very closely
because diastolic heart failure
is very serious problem
and it could be
a stroke for example
which could kill him.
Martin confessed to me
that he had
been hallucinating
and hearing
a voices in his mind.
He hadn't told
anyone else
because he thought
they would put him
immediately in the hospital
and still he
kept swimming
and drinking.
Must be a little
different sometimes.
Matt!
I'm tired, Matt.
Ha?
Maybe you have
something to drink?
Yeah, I have some drinks.
You have maybe
some whisky? -Whisky?
Whisky.
The doctor said you should
be drink more fluid
because you
are dehydrated.
This is for doctor
not for me.
This guy
is not understood by
anybody.
Who's that guy in mediaeval
and mythological stuff that
they changed him a
rock or something
and the birds
pecked on his head until...
Is that Hercules
or some athletes lady?
Piece like...
He's like this except.
He's got to swim
all those rivers
What's he
doing here is
almost self sacrificial
for the world.
It's almost Christ
like in a way
if I can say that.
It's almost Christ like.
It's bigger then
I can comprehend.
and I'm just darting
the essence
after been in all
that expeditions
how great is thing is.
Yeah, he might
be a little fat
he might be
a little drunk
but OK, he can...
sometimes yell on
us a little but
he's the last super
hero in the world.
Look, what's
he doing here.
He's connecting all
of the greatest
rivers on the world
by swimming them
giving hope to people
all over the world.
Everyone in the
world is on there
edgeter fiv right now
hoping, praying some
of them probably
morbidlier kind of just
waiting for him to get killed
in actuality because,
yeah, this is dangerous.
He's 52 years old.
He swimming in the
most dangerous
place in the world.
He's the last
American super hero.
He's the last super
hero on the world.
He's the world's
last super hero.
Here's the world's
last super hero.
That's it.
This is the last five
minutes to midnight
and we got one
super hero left
to save us all
bring us all down
into the eternity.
SAN ANTONIO DE
ICA, BRAZIL
out to see Martin
in the small town of
San Antonio de Ica.
There was a near map scene
as people try to get
near to the "homem peixe"
in English, the fish man.
The crowd got so big
that it held like the
Martin was going to be
the most famous
man in the world
if he made it somehow.
The TV talk shows
were calling non-stop.
They all wanted
to speak with Martin
but no one
could rich him
not even me.
The media kept asking
why Martin doing this.
Martin only said
it was protect
the rain forest
but no one knew exactly
what the hell
he meant by that.
TWO WEEKS LATER
MANAUS, BRAZIL
This is first city we
seen it in two months.
I don't
wanna go, man.
I just stay in the boat.
Matt was starting to get
very affected
after so many hours
and days besides Martin.
He was talking about God,
the rain forest,
the river
and Martin's as they
were all the same thing.
You see this river?
That river is between
heaven and hell, man.
This is river purgatory.
And Martin...
All of us.
We are all here.
We are all
stuck right here.
We are on
the river, man.
There's a heaven.
We can almost reach
it. You see that.
We can almost
reach it.
And there's a hell.
There's were we live, man.
We lived there in hell
but now we are
somewhere in the middle.
You can see that.
That's heaven.
That's so close it is.
It's right there.
It's right there, man.
I can grab it.
I can grab heaven.
I can grab it.
I can grab it.
But then I go there.
I go there.
I go to hell.
I go to hell.
It's five seconds to
midnight right there.
Manau was a the city
the size of New York
but in the heart of Amazon.
It felt like just
in United States.
They had a
Mc Donald's there
they had a Burger's King
they had a shopping malls
and lot of money.
Our boat even duck
at the high five star hotel
and the managers booked
us all three rooms.
But Martin and Matt
has gone at 5. AM
before we woke and swam
away without telling us.
Slovenian's endurance
swimmer
Martin Strel has gone missing
well attempting to
brake the world record
the longest
swim in history.
I still don't understand
why Martin did this.
He put not
only himself but
but entire expedition
at failure
because our Brazilian boat
was not equipped to navigate
the river at night
and could easily
have sun.
At the midnight they
were still lost.
Matt had left his GPS
and radio behind
so we have no idea
how to find them
and we were force to do
another dangerous
night time search
scanning the banks
with flood lights.
We finally found
Martin and Matt
on the stretch of
sandy bank
in a very white channel.
Martin was totally naked
and unresponsive.
Matt was also in a
strange state of mind.
It was as if they hade
seen or a heard
experience something
that had transform them.
At this point
Martin had exceeded his
previous world record
but this no longer seems
like a world record
expedition at all.
I was very scared
because he had over
and he was obviously
going insane.
PARINTINS, BRAZIL
DAY 47
At the 47. day
Matt stays up
for three days
and he was scribbling poems
about Martin and Jesus.
That shoe's jacked, man.
Mad had been ranting
and raving for days
and he was getting
on everyone nerves.
It was like Matt
was infected
by how Martin felt
and was that
enough comprehend
how crazy he was going.
...as like third
dog in the slay.
I was by
now use to this
seeing my father
goes crazy.
I had spent
half of my life
watching him
go to this point.
But only he knew
what is was about.
The areas east and
south of Amazonas
are the worst example of
forest station in the Amazon.
The state of Rondonia
is big like England
has been
and in the state of Para
and Mato Grosso
and the area of jungle
the size of small country
disappears each year.
Most of this is do
the cattle ranches.
Each year the
sky turns black
which smokes for months
as priest in forest
is burn to make
way for a new
car fits.
Countless species
of animals and plants
become extinguish
each burn season.
This is all simply
because of the world
demands to eat beef.
Even though the UN
relist a reports saying
that cattle production has
more humfer environment impact
then all the
cars in the planet.
The fast
food companies
are spending millions
to promote even more
cosumshen and
bigger burgers.
At the current rate
half of Amazon
will be cattle funds
by the year 2030
and by the end of
the century
not only the Amazon
but all the world's rainforest
will have to be
cut down to accommodate
the needs of planet
with 14 billion people.
ILHA DO PATACHO
DAY 52
At the day 52.
Martin scowlen was
flame dought by Amazon
and the doctor said
the swim was over
but Martin said, no.
I will find another
way to swim.
DAY 55
Now I cross...
fourth dimension.
DAY 60
On April 1.
we found out
from the doctor
that Martin has
been haven
subcontineus larva
infection in his brain
for nearly two weeks.
She hid this fact from
us on Martin's request
that we not stop the swim.
But her official diagnoses
was that Martin's problems
were the mostly mental.
What's happening?
What do you think
what's happening?
I think he's
at the low, low,
lowest level, lowest
level with the energy.
Probably his head
wants to like explode.
So, it's a really
weird reaction
I didn't expect that.
Clocking batteries, wires...
You guys just
get let him swim?
What else we
suppose to do?
What can I do?
What we can do?
I mean, what can
I tell Martin Strel?
Martin, I think you have
fucking mental problems.
Do you think... Think
you can please stop
yours world
record expeditions for
so maybe you can go to
see the fucking shrink.
DAY 63
Martin had
become so insane
by this point in the swim
that we even
didn't look on him
like a person anymore.
It was like he had
taken on the stado
of an animal
or a monster.
He was like Frankenstein
or The elephant man
but in the Amazon.
DAY 64
By the 64. day
Martin didn't want
to spent energy
on anything that
wasn't swimming.
He stops feeding himself.
He only want to spent
the physical
energy on swimming
and he wanted to
swim day and night.
This was also
nothing new to me.
I fed him
the same way
on the Yangtze and
Mississippi.
It was like keeping
a baby alive
but one that your father
swimming the Amazon.
The doctor advise
that Martin stand down
for at least a week
to avoid a heart attack
but he wouldn't listen.
I not allowed you.
-I must swim tonight.
At this point if you
are going to the water
I would recommend
against it
because he's too weak
he has some
experiences in delirium
and we can't have
him swimming like that.
The doctor made Martin
sign a paper
saying that she
was not responsible
for anything that
happen to him
if he swam at night.
There were also
a big concerns about
firevits at night.
Not even crazy Matt
want it to take the risk
and try to talk to
Martin out of it.
Finally I decided
to lead him myself.
I had been
in this situation
of swimming
with him at night
before in the Danube and we
are run over by a barge
and we are almost die.
All of us felt like
we are doing something
incredibly pointless
and stupid
but I knew it if
we didn't go with him
he would swim out
at night alone.
We get one life jacket.
One life jacket
on the boat
for six men and one gun.
One gun,
one life jacket
and the swimmer that
can barely stand up.
A little bit to the end.
Go.
Go.
A little bit.
Martin all of the sudden
jump out of the river.
We thought that
might he seen the shark.
But he said that
he saw a little
girl under the water
and it hororfright him.
We got you. We got you.
You just need to lay down.
Give him a bucket
or something.
DAY 66, EASTER SUNDAY
APRIL 7, 2007
Martin got to with in
His body was in such
state of shock
that he could have an heart
attack every second.
Even though he
had already bitten
his previous world record
by nearly 1000 miles
he swam the last three
which was still water
just like a lake.
BELEM, BRAZIL
There was media
from 20 countries
waiting for us
at the finish line.
It was the
hugest moment
in Martin's life
and I felt
like I should write a
statement for him
to read to the world
explaining why he did it.
"I like it to drink...
and I'm a simple man."
"There are
many people like me."
But the things
was so chaotic
that I lost my original
and I had to rewrite it
on the boat
we us approached.
Please. Please,
give as some room.
What's your name?
What's your name?
We'll write a fish man.
You are OK, fish man.
Fish man.
No, no, no!
No, no.
Do you remember
what we must tell?
How many can...
-Excuse me, no.
They are many
people like me?
...they realized that
even impossible...
...to save the world.
I hope the people
will remember me...
...I am very tired...
I just want that...
A,B,C, D, E, F, N...
Martin was visited
by many people
in the next days
who try to helped
him out from
of his fourth
dimensional state.
One of this was
the hotel preacher
who prayed for him and
even practice English.
Another was
a Brazilian band.
Finally, Martin refuse
to see anyone
and only allowed
the Brazilian preacher
to stay with him
who's also been a papito.
He was in there
with Martin for days.
A person,
who apparently
took his own life.
That would be
the shooter.
That's right. Now to
rezavnig question
why wasn't
the alarm sound it
in between
those two shootings.
Why was that first
shooting see in the morning.
APRIL 7, 2007
BELEM, BRAZIL
FIVE MONTHS LATER
In a few months
Martin gambled away
all over
sponsorship money
and had to return
to his day job.
I waited for the
talk show to call back.
Leather man, Conor o'Brain
and Jai Lenno
had all promise
to help him on
but they never called.
Martin Strel.
Who is this guy?
Some people describe
him like a dare devil.
Fish man, human fish
even craziest
man on the world.
Take a long time to
writing that statement.
Are you sad that didn't
get read to the world?
Yeah, it took
a lot of time,
energy and creativity.
Well, we would
try to present it
to the world by internet,
over the book.
It was really bad that
he couldn't make it
but what
we could do.
Nothing else. You know,
is only a human
and was not
able to do it.
Do you have the
statement here still?
I have.
I think I have.
You had it right there.
Should I read?
-Yeah.
My name is Martin.
You can see I'm not
Lance Armstrong.
I'm a little fat
and a little old.
I like to drink a little.
I'm a simple man.
There are many
people like me.
I hope they
see this swim
and realize they can
do impossibly things
even save the world.
I hope people remember
this rainforest is our friend
and stop destroying it.
Now I am very tired.
Please, excuse me.
I just swam the Amazon.
But he couldn't do it.
Now, I finally read it
and I hope you realized
it's worth now than never.
I set down with Martin
and told him ours
finished helping with him
ultra American swimming.
I going to college.
From the looking his eye
I realize that meant
he was finished too.
This is one horizontal.
And have more.
Very special picture.
Borut!
You have another one?
After Amazon,
Martin had the same
dream over and over.
He was swimming
the Amazon again.
He had to start over
from the beginning.
When he
started swimming
the Amazon picked him up
and let him fly over it.
And show him
the way it was
in the beginning
before man kinds.
And the Amazon said
this is the
way is was, Martin
and will be again for you.
No more distraction
no more suffering
and no one will ever die.
END
I paint a drowned man.
Jacques Prevert
Is that OK?
I am going to do,
no man has ever done,
swim at the Amazon.
I'm Martin Strel.
I'm going to do...
FEBRUARY 2, 2006
...what...
what no one has never do.
...what no one has ever done.
...what no man has never do.
...what no one has ever done.
swim at the Amazon.
I'm Martin Strel.
I'm going to do, what...
no man has never...
It's Ok.
It's Ok.
...no man has ever done.
I'm Martin Strel.
I'm going to do,
what no man has never do,
swim at the Amazon.
This is Martin Strel,
the most famous endurance
swimmer in the world.
He's the only person
to swim the Mississippi
and the Yangtze rivers.
Now in 2007,
he will be attempt to
be the first person,
to swim at the Amazon.
My father is not an average
world famous athlete.
First of all,
he's little bit over weight,
maybe even
very over weight.
Second, he's a big drinker.
Even while he's swimming,
he drinks two bottles
of wine a day.
Thirdly,
he's accomplished most of his
fits over the age of 45.
When he swims at the Amazon,
he'll be 53 years old.
How long does he
swim without stopping?
That's a good question.
How long does you
swim without stopping?
Average. Every day.
Average, every day?
-50, 60 miles.
Without stopping?
-Yeah, non-stop.
What he say?
-Without stopping per a day.
Yeah, per a day.
-Yes.
What's your name?
I'm worried for my
father's safety
but more I worried for
my father's health.
When he's swimming
in the Yangtze,
the world's most
polluted river,
he became so ill
I didn't know
if he would survive.
I wanted to make him stop
but I couldn't.
Swimming in the world's
most polluted rivers
is the family business.
BORUT STREL
My name is Borut Strel,
I am Martin Strel's son
but I am also his
main assistant.
My main job is
helping my father at his
swimming adventures.
I am the head of logistic.
I coordinate
the whole team.
YANGTZE SWIM 2004
I help incurred him
all the time and we trust
each other the most.
He swims through
this dirty waters
hoping to race the illness
and the disappearance of clean
waters around the world.
But the Amazon is
a special problem.
In the river
has crocodiles,
deadly fish and snakes,
parasites and insects,
many of which is be
hard to avoid.
The deadly can the Candirue fish
can swim up your penis
and if it does
no more penis.
Martin understands
this dangerous
but he consider this dangerous to
the Amazon more serious.
If the global attention is
not pay immediately
to the rapid destruction
of the rain forest
then will all be in
very serious trouble.
Martin hopes that his swim
will inspire people
to wake up and care
about saving this lands.
I don't know how I
feel about this swim.
When he was finishing
the Yangtze swim 2004
he was saying, I am not gonna
do anything more swims.
It's too hard,
too hot,
too much infections,
too much troubles
but then after a
couple of months
when he recovered,
he just came up with
another idea over night,
I am going to the Amazon.
SLOVENIA,
February 2006
TRAINING FOR
AMAZON BEGINS
My father Martin
is very famous in Slovenia
but even when he's
going abroad
he's very famous too.
Some people say that he's
like an Slovenian ambassador.
Slovenia's shape
is like a chicken.
Slovenia's shape
is like a chicken.
Head...you can see.
Some people say
it's no big deal
to swim downstream with
current. I say to them
trying by selfs.
When Martin swims 60 miles
per a day downstream
means the same as swimming
on a still water.
Try doing that every
day for 75 days
when you are
and you weight
over 200 pounds.
Amazon swim publicity
campaign Hollywood, California
Where you swimming to?
Acapulco?
It's actually
kind of funny.
He's actually gonna swim
entire Amazon river.
I don't think he's
gonna make it
with all that piranha.
Mokronog, Slovenia
Martin's home town
Martin got a free car
from his sponsor
for the rest of his life.
Mazda was
car of the year...
...in 2004. Mazda was
car of the year.
Many Slovenians are
drunk and drivers.
We are at the top in
Europe by statistics
and my father
Martin is one of them.
But he does
when he drives
he eat a lot, drink a lot
and we are at the
phone all the time.
But he is very
good in driving.
He's very good driver
and he can make it
even if he's drunk.
He has a really good
connections with policeman.
They stop him, hey Martin,
you're drunk.
You are over dozed.
Ok, just come
safe to the home.
We will not give
you a ticket.
You are very
famous people.
Be safe.
Goodbye.
Martin parks this Mazda 626
where ever he wants
and nobody could
stop him.
If I park by myself
I get a ticket right away.
What you want to order?
Horse burger.
-Horse burger, yes.
Many Slovenians
eat horse burgers.
Horse burger is one of the most
popular food in our country.
Me and Martin
love them too.
The horse burger is
like a chicken burger.
The only different is
that is made from horse meat.
Horse burger, yeah.
Horse burger.
He will make it all the
way through on Amazon? -No.
VENICE BEACH, CALIFORNIA
But how far?
I don't know. About is far
he made it on Mississippi river.
You mean all
the way? -No.
You not believe it?
-Nobody's ever done that.
Number seven
on the countdown.
First is swim.
The mighty Mississippi river
it measures over
In 2002 endurance swimmer
Martin Strel took it on.
He swam the entire length
from the Minnesota
to the gulf of Mexico.
A long the way,
Strel battle strong currents
deadly whirlpools
and wishes storms.
starting his record swim
Strel reach the
gulf of Mexico.
Besides be an swimmer
my father has a day job
is a flamenco guitar teacher.
Before that he was a
professional gambler
but that was
before I was born.
KONGO CASINO,
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA
Martin likes to say something
over and over again.
One of this is
if you work you got money
if you not work no money.
I have been professional
gambler, yes
but for that you must
stay here over the night.
I put here 1000 dollars.
If it will be black
It's very simple.
Before I was a swimmer
I was a gambler.
Now I gamble with my life.
Martin was bitten
very badly as a child.
He says that's way
he is able to endure
such an extreme pain.
He promised him self
he would never treat
me at same.
Instead he battle
demons at the rivers.
DANUBE 2000,
MISSISSIPPI 2002,
YANGTZE 2004,
To swim the Amazon
is almost 1000 miles
further then the Yangtze.
It will be the longest,
most dangerous
swimming in history.
My father always told me
that someday he's
going to be somebody.
But he never knew
what to call him self
that people would
remember his name.
I told him
you are Martin Strel.
You are the big river man.
Self pictures presents
in association with
EARTHWORKS FILMS
MARTIN STREL
in
BIG RIVER MAN
SLOVENIA
Lipizzaner horse demonstration
in honor of Martin
AMAZON SWIM
ATLANTIS, WATER PARK
SLOVENIA, LJUBLJANA
This is Atlantis
where Martin has a free
membership here
for the rest of his life.
He's the only
person in Slovenia
with this and the
really in the whole world.
He's like a mascot for them
because of his extreme
achievements
go with the
fact that Atlantis
is the largest
indoor water park
in the whole Europe.
This is where you
can find Martin always
Martin trains every days in
a swimming pool for 5 hours.
He swims 4 km
one hour in the pool
so he's training
At the end of the day
he spends time
some tanning
and tubing at the Atlantis
water slides.
Martin's physical training
is very important.
but his mental training
is maybe even more
important than that.
POSTOJNA CAVE,
SLOVENIA
This is way Martin has
been spending
the whole summer
underground.
He has a special
password
from the Slovenian
government
to enter into a giant cave.
He just typed on his PDA
and the door just open.
Martin does this
it get closer
to the underground
animals.
And I think he's
looking kind of
for a passion how
how all the animals
sleep underground.
that's he's gonna understand in
the Amazon all this animals.
Martin believes that if he
thinks like an animal
while he'll swimming the Amazon
he will not be eaten.
Slovenians likes to do many
things at the same time.
When the Martin is drunk
driving while go in
but also doing
two tabs of training.
He's power breathing
which is good
for his lungs
and he's also
learning English.
"You look young."
"Oh, Mary. I am your
husband Henry."
"I am good looking
in about forty
and I wear glasses."
"Oh, I don't like glasses."
"And you Jessica?"
"What do you do?"
"I am a drug dealer.
-What?"
AMAZON SWIM
Slovenia is one of
the cleanest
countries on the earth
and Martin grows
up swimming
in only pure waters
like a 1000 years ago.
That time was
also communism
and every one was
very depressed.
He was always poor
and lived in the tiny house
from the government.
So Martin would
drink and drink
and then shout
and say: "Goodbye."
I am going away
for a few days.
When I ask him where
he went he would say:
"I just went
to Italy to relax."
U.S. EMBASSY
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA
Martin always says,
to be a winner you must
be a friend of winner.
He knows a lot of them.
One of Martin's
favorite winners
is American ambassador
in Slovenia.
They likes each other
because Martin likes America
and America like him too.
People think Martin is rich
and powerful like them
but it's really
me and Martin
try to save money
for Amazon swim.
"I come and you follow
me with the basket."
"Then bring on
that table."
"OK? Go there."
Mr. ambassador.
Thank you very much.
Good representation.
Bye bye and hope... -Martin.
We will meet each
other again, right?
Bye bye.
-On the web.
He see there all friends
in the same fields.
That's helps
get better votes
and at the end you
become a winner.
Besides a guitar teaching
Martin has to make money
by playing in
Slovenian movies
TV promotions
promoting
his personal wine
doing TV commercials
"When I drink Monster
it makes me feel
totally agrow."
Judging beauty contest
promoting American food chains
"Martin Strel. Give him
an applause here."
and speaking
at conventions.
You said you sell product?
-We sell water.
A what?
-Water. -Water.
Based vacuum cleaners.
Everything about
vacuum cleaners, guys.
Uh, let's go.
Let's go. Let's go.
Mick.
I'm ready.
You know the project
is ready by itself.
We have boats ready.
We have equipment ready.
Of course, we are
advertise Martin's projects
every time he goes.
To make his big projects
we advertise his pictures
his web side
and in a couple of days
in a few days
you will see Ljubljana
actually the whole Slovenia
covered with the billboards
huge jumbo banners
we call them here
and it's gonna to
be Martin's pictures.
I made a design
an art work
with the Amazon
background.
It's like this.
Hey, his picture
look like he's
vibing to the
whole country.
He's kind of putting
vibes on everybody
taking the control
to the whole country
and I'm very proud
I designed that.
Martin is very excited
about this banners.
because he gets
very famous.
NEW YEARS EVE
GOING AWAY PARTY
Martin Strel.
Welcome to Slovenia.
Martin didn't seems
scare at all to leave
but my mom said
he was have nightmares
every night
and wake in
up screaming.
He said he felt like
the whole world
was waiting for him
to jump in the
river and die.
SOUTHWESTERN
PERUVIAN AMAZON
Martin Strel is
attempting to defeat
what is no other
human been done yet.
... but he swears
by the Slovenian
red wine dealing by.
He's already swam
the Danube,
Mississippi
and the Yangtze.
We have an alligators
can be fatalness
then very deadly snakes
including anacondas.
We have the Candirue
which is much fear fish
very small fish
but it's end up in your rigram.
ATALAYA, PERU
We are in
Atalaya, Peru.
This is just
below Machu Picchu
and I'm started
swimming tomorrow
at 8 o'clock in
the Amazon river.
People think that because
we have big
media for swims
that also we
have big publicists
but I'm main
Martin's publicist
and also perform
Martin's voice
for all worldwide interviews
because I understand
what's media likes
and appreciates.
FEBRUARY 1st,2007
Yes, we have
a protection
we have a machetes,
we have guns,
we have knives.
We have all kind,
you know, weapons
on the boat. Well,
for example
is somebody badgering you
and if you need
to kill an animal
you use a gun.
... and I never urinate.
I never urinate
straight into the water.
I always urinate
into my wet suit.
Blood.
Blood, hm?
If piranha for example
start attacking
or something like that
we will through
a bucket of blood
over there on the other
side and you know,
the piranhas
will just redirect there.
You must clean
have to go.
Mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes.
FEBRUARY 1st, 2007
AMAZON SWIM, DAY 1
The chances
of Martin die
on the first day of the swim
were pretty high.
It had been raining
for a weeks
and the river was
in the flood stages
and since then
had been no one
that have ever
gone in the Amazon
in tvoz like this.
No one knew
what to expect.
Martin! Martin!
Martin! Martin!
After 1100 days
of preparations and training
the Martin finally begin
the first swimming
expedition in history
down the river Amazonas.
And even though
we were scared,
exhausted and totally alone
the day ended perfectly.
Seventy days
that would follow
would be the
strangest of my life
and also the worst.
DAY 2
MATT MOHLKE
NAVIGATOR
Martin is pissed
we forget the machetes.
This is Mathew Mohlke
Martin's head
river navigator.
It is Matt job to make
sure Martin doesn't die
or get lost in one
of the thousand
of channels on Amazon.
He has been with Martin
on expeditions for years.
He lived in Fountain
city, Wisconsin.
Matt is a professional
poker player by night
and at day works for
Sam Welten's family.
He quit his job with them
to come on the
Amazon expedition.
Martin trusts him more
then anyone on the world
except for me
even thought his not a
professional river navigator.
Matt, you know
where we are? -Yes.
It's difficult
to see ahead.
You know?
-Yes. -OK.
Martin is afraid we lost
because he can't
see shit an far.
The problem is
if the river turns quickly
we can't see a coming
and if there a bad water
we are fucked.
We are top on it.
It's too late.
So, it's gonna be a
really dangerous day.
The river was extremely
high and moving fast.
This creates
deadly whirlpools.
This fortacess
can suck down
entire boats full of people
much less a swimmer.
Dangerous, Martin.
More this way.
More this way.
Dangerous.
Sound like fucking
death trip today or something.
I am telling him
it's dangerous
but he swim right into it.
Motherfucker.
STREL'S CREW BOA
This is the Cielito Linda
the boat we will be living on
for the next three weeks.
People told us
it was the
worst boat in Peru
and they were right.
It was a very bad boat.
ALFREDO CHAVEZ
BOAT CAPTAIN
This is Alfredo Chavez
captain of the Cielito Linda.
I was concern
that our boat
will crushing the banks
like a pink pound
after only two days
but Alfredo said
things like this
happen a lot in Peru.
No need to worried about.
Alfredo is a very special
taboo Amazon to the guy.
Alfred said
there are three
rules in Peru.
The first is to through
away your plan A
the second is to through
away your plan B
and the third is to relax.
Peruvians accept
they can not control nature
and especially not
the Amazon river.
We would have
to do the same
or the river would break
us by the end.
He ask me where
we were this morning.
I'm natural guy. I don't
know how to use GPS.
I'm learning.
I just have...
first training yesterday.
Borut teach me how.
So, when we have fog
like that Martin ask me:
"Do you know
where we are?"
Look, I don't
know where we are.
We are lost in
Amazon somewhere but
I just try to find
the best curve
and keep him not to hit
by a damn log or
something.
You know, he cuts
right through.
I mean, that tree gonna stick
right through his stomach.
There had been
so much rain
that whole
pieces of forest
was floating down
stream with Martin.
They were as heavy
as straight trains
and if they hit him
he would be dead.
I'm pretty good
in the river
but I'm just a fisherman
from Wisconsin.
I'm doing this for free.
I'm doing this for adventure.
If Martin wants
to give a big money
he can get the experienced
Amazon river guy.
I'll do the best I can.
I learning the GPS,
I learning the maps.
When he ask
where we are
just tell him like I
know where we are.
The doctor said
Martin's blood pressure
was already
dangerously high.
RIFAT LATIFI
PHYSICIAN
I examined Martin Strel briefly
and measured
the blood pressure.
It was 150\95.
Anybody else with
elevated blood pressure
probably should be
evaluate and not start
swim in the Amazon.
He said that Martin
needed to stop swimming
if he wanted
to avoid the stroke
but Martin wouldn't stop.
PERUVIAN AMAZON
On expeditions
Martin usually sleep
only 4 hours at night.
The currents had die down
but know he was getting
more and more sun burn.
He has second
degree burns
all over his face.
And he thought
that cure for this
was more beer.
But doctors told him
it only makes him
more dehydrating.
I try to convince him
to stop drinking
so much at night
but I couldn't.
DAY 6, SOMEWHERE
IN PERUVIAN AMAZON
Incredible.
What a freak.
Martin expect rain
more of the heavy rain
in the Amazon.
We haven't much rain
in the last of few weeks.
So, it is crazy
how the weather
is happening.
Will be worm or
something is happening
down here?
Completely unusual.
And he has some kind of
terrible sun burn.
In this part of the earth
the sun can give you
a cancer disease
on the skin
is from the pleasure
somebody doing this
crazy shit.
In 2005 the
Peruvian Amazon
experience the worst
drought in 40 years.
This was a crises for
an indigence people
on a massive scale.
People had to be
air lifted out
and food had to be air
lifted in by helicopters
just like in New
Orleans the same year.
The scientists has
blamed for draught
a higher ocean temperatures
caused by global warming.
Rising air in the Atlantic
pushing Amazon clouds away
which stops rainfall
and kills the forest.
The scientists say
the global worming
is the biggest single threat
to the rain forest
because lowest rainfall
can easily turn the rain
forest into a desert.
Even though it was a
middle of rainy season
and had rain at the end
but hadn't rain for
at weeks on a river.
Without a rain
sunburn would
fry a Martin's skin
like a piece of bacon
until it melted
off his face.
And he was
already looking
piece of beef jerky.
Finally I couldn't
take any more
and came up with
genius original idea
that would change the
Amazon swim forever.
The wait mask style
which was
actually my idea
allowed Martin to swim in
global worming conditions
and created an unique
style an Amazon swimming
that made headlines
around the world.
IQUITOS, PERU
The wait mask
got the sun off
and got him
back to normal
but he was coming down
with another worsen
problem.
Martin's wetsuit swim
smells like a shit.
Probably because
he shit inside
and all that dirty water
all that dust and garbage
that flows down the Amazon.
Of course,
get inside of his body
and that's way is
smells really bad.
Bad day for me today.
YANGTZE SWIM
On the Yangtze
Martin swimming in the most
dangerous rapids
that human
ever swimming.
In the great gor
with no support services
on either side of the river.
Martin swam alone
through class 6 rapids
on one of
the most polluted
and dangerous rivers
on the world.
The river was so toxic
that's Martin's blood
had to be washed
every day by doctors.
Martin was even
swimming pass
dead bodies in the water.
DR. MATEJA DE
LEONNI STANONIK
PHYSICIAN
This is dr. Mateja.
Martin's biggest fan
and personal doctor.
She is a brain surgeon here
to make sure nothing
happened to Martin's brain.
She's also looking into
his heart and lungs
but she wouldnt
have a microscope
to see all that parasites
in the Amazon
that entering into
Martin's body every day.
I was so used
to watching Martin's
battle polluted rivers
that I expected that Amazon
would be the same.
But that was shocked
to find that Amazon
was a clean river
with virgin forest
along the banks
and not a single
piece of trash
for a hundreds of miles.
It was like a river
at the beginning of time
before man's kind.
Martin said it was
clean enough to drink
but I told him
to stop drinking it
because it will
make him sick.
DAY 9
I don't know
what we can do to...
Well, I think,
you know, Martin
he's always
like you know,
very tired
but still have some...
still has some
extra power.
-Yeah.
You remember him
on the Mississippi.
He came out from the
water and couldn't walk.
We brought him in
the car, in the van
you know and
he didn't even eat.
You remember some...?
-That was 60. day.
Yeah, it was at the end.
-Yeah.
Toda is 9.day.
And he is,
I hate to say but is like
his fallen apart.
He's fucking feather.
He shouldn't have
a shoulder problems
quite yet.
It's too early for that man.
He needs to be absorb
this destiruations
through curse in
this expedition
but in 9.days
he lost 11 or 12 pounds.
How much is he lost?
-Yeah, something like that.
Yeah, that's nine days.
I mean,
he's gonna fall
through own
bang hole by the
end of this trip.
PEBAS, PERU
If you ask Martin
what is the most
dangerous thing
on the Amazon was
he would says people.
Martin only believes and
trust completely
animals, rivers and Indians.
These are the only
living beings I think
that truly understands
Martin also.
In the town of Pebas
Martin swam up to an
ancient Indian tribe.
They were called
the Yagua tribe.
I'm afraid must sad
that they are
one of the last
original tribes on Amazon.
When I was kayaking
in escorting him in
down the Danube
he was telling me
the personal stories
that I could never
hear from him
standing on two legs.
One of this was
that his father was
so unsatisfied
with his life
that he would take out
all his rage on Martin.
When the father
had been drinking
Martin was so scared to
come home in the house
that he ended up
sleeping in the barn.
His mother would
set him out
the clothes and
food each night.
My grandmother said
Martin actually
spend the most
of his childhood
in that barn.
When in one occasion
Martin was been chased
and jump in an freezing
creek to escape
the father waiting for
him on the banks
so Martin
swam downstream.
The father walked
alongside him
for a long time
but Martin swam so far
that father gave up
and went home.
This was Martin's
first endurance swim.
I think he
repeat something
of this same feeling
on every expedition.
There are many myths in
creatures lives in Amazon.
One of the myths
is about wild man
who lives in the
underground world
beneath the river.
He's call the Pishtakos
and if you see him
his bringing
the apocalypse.
That's way Indians never
swim in the main channel.
They were afraid of us
because they thought
we are demons.
Face peelers.
They use this...
They skin it the face
take the fatness
from the humans
after they are killed
and things like
that can actually
they call it these
people, Pishtakos.
Pishtakos.
And he said in front of us
that the captain
and myself...
No, they got to be Pishtakos.
I'm sorry. Look for
another village
but we don't want you
stay here tonight.
Alfred of said they
could just decide
to kill us in the night.
So, we slept
with machetes
but mostly we
didn't sleep at all.
The Amazon is almost
as largest the 48 united states.
People don't realize
that the Amazon
the last frontier on earth.
It is still
There were rivers
that go for 1000 km
that are totally uninhabited.
But people who lived here
are some of the poorest
in the world.
This is the main problem
of Amazon destruction.
For example,
one single mahogany tree
in the Amazon
can be worth up to 20.000$
in Europe or America.
People will cut in entire
road into the forest
just to reach one tree.
This mahogany
tree is are made into
expensive boats
and furniture
but mostly
musical instruments
especially electric guitars.
As of 2006 20% of the
Amazon forest
has been cut down.
At the current
rate of cutting
half of the forest will be
gone in twenty years.
DAY 23
Monkeys around.
In the morning...
In the morning is very...
very exciting.
Talking.
So much crying.
Very famous must be
in the morning.
Early in the morning.
Now it's...
more peace.
More quiet.
Nobody crying,
nobody talking.
Peace... ha, peace.
That's not big town,
Los Angeles.
Many cars.
No cars here.
People need this
but people don't
know what is Amazon
what is jungle.
I can look around
to see some animals.
Must be careful,
ok, but...
I think is not
so dangerous.
It's dangerous
in the bank.
It's dangerous, yeah
but in the water, no.
Every year
it's good to stay
in the jungle
Be big difference
for all the people.
DAY 25,
PERU/BRAZIL BORDER
"Martin Strel,
example for the kids."
When Martin cross
the border to Brazil
there was a huge
party with dancing girls
and marching bands
all saying
how Martin was an
example to children
and all human race.
My father was
the first person
that anyone
had ever seen
that swam to
Brazil from Peru.
All of this people
wanted to hear
what this
man had to say
but instead of speaking
Martin swam away
from the reception
with only the Brazilian
chase boat driver
and left us at the port
not have even a clue
how to find him.
This was for expedition
into the dangerous
night time search.
When we finally picked
up the boat signal at 3.AM
and found him about
he had no explanation.
I had seen this irrational
behavior before
and he never had
an explanation.
The news that there was
a man swimming the Amazon
was spreading fast
through out the Brazil.
We were told that crowds
in the thousands
will be waiting for
Martin downstream.
We did not yet realize
how big this thing
was going to get.
SAN PABLO DE
OLIVENCIA, BRAZIL
His blood pressure
has gone up tremendously
and that's quite worried.
I've been monitoring
this very closely
because diastolic heart failure
is very serious problem
and it could be
a stroke for example
which could kill him.
Martin confessed to me
that he had
been hallucinating
and hearing
a voices in his mind.
He hadn't told
anyone else
because he thought
they would put him
immediately in the hospital
and still he
kept swimming
and drinking.
Must be a little
different sometimes.
Matt!
I'm tired, Matt.
Ha?
Maybe you have
something to drink?
Yeah, I have some drinks.
You have maybe
some whisky? -Whisky?
Whisky.
The doctor said you should
be drink more fluid
because you
are dehydrated.
This is for doctor
not for me.
This guy
is not understood by
anybody.
Who's that guy in mediaeval
and mythological stuff that
they changed him a
rock or something
and the birds
pecked on his head until...
Is that Hercules
or some athletes lady?
Piece like...
He's like this except.
He's got to swim
all those rivers
What's he
doing here is
almost self sacrificial
for the world.
It's almost Christ
like in a way
if I can say that.
It's almost Christ like.
It's bigger then
I can comprehend.
and I'm just darting
the essence
after been in all
that expeditions
how great is thing is.
Yeah, he might
be a little fat
he might be
a little drunk
but OK, he can...
sometimes yell on
us a little but
he's the last super
hero in the world.
Look, what's
he doing here.
He's connecting all
of the greatest
rivers on the world
by swimming them
giving hope to people
all over the world.
Everyone in the
world is on there
edgeter fiv right now
hoping, praying some
of them probably
morbidlier kind of just
waiting for him to get killed
in actuality because,
yeah, this is dangerous.
He's 52 years old.
He swimming in the
most dangerous
place in the world.
He's the last
American super hero.
He's the last super
hero on the world.
He's the world's
last super hero.
Here's the world's
last super hero.
That's it.
This is the last five
minutes to midnight
and we got one
super hero left
to save us all
bring us all down
into the eternity.
SAN ANTONIO DE
ICA, BRAZIL
out to see Martin
in the small town of
San Antonio de Ica.
There was a near map scene
as people try to get
near to the "homem peixe"
in English, the fish man.
The crowd got so big
that it held like the
Martin was going to be
the most famous
man in the world
if he made it somehow.
The TV talk shows
were calling non-stop.
They all wanted
to speak with Martin
but no one
could rich him
not even me.
The media kept asking
why Martin doing this.
Martin only said
it was protect
the rain forest
but no one knew exactly
what the hell
he meant by that.
TWO WEEKS LATER
MANAUS, BRAZIL
This is first city we
seen it in two months.
I don't
wanna go, man.
I just stay in the boat.
Matt was starting to get
very affected
after so many hours
and days besides Martin.
He was talking about God,
the rain forest,
the river
and Martin's as they
were all the same thing.
You see this river?
That river is between
heaven and hell, man.
This is river purgatory.
And Martin...
All of us.
We are all here.
We are all
stuck right here.
We are on
the river, man.
There's a heaven.
We can almost reach
it. You see that.
We can almost
reach it.
And there's a hell.
There's were we live, man.
We lived there in hell
but now we are
somewhere in the middle.
You can see that.
That's heaven.
That's so close it is.
It's right there.
It's right there, man.
I can grab it.
I can grab heaven.
I can grab it.
I can grab it.
But then I go there.
I go there.
I go to hell.
I go to hell.
It's five seconds to
midnight right there.
Manau was a the city
the size of New York
but in the heart of Amazon.
It felt like just
in United States.
They had a
Mc Donald's there
they had a Burger's King
they had a shopping malls
and lot of money.
Our boat even duck
at the high five star hotel
and the managers booked
us all three rooms.
But Martin and Matt
has gone at 5. AM
before we woke and swam
away without telling us.
Slovenian's endurance
swimmer
Martin Strel has gone missing
well attempting to
brake the world record
the longest
swim in history.
I still don't understand
why Martin did this.
He put not
only himself but
but entire expedition
at failure
because our Brazilian boat
was not equipped to navigate
the river at night
and could easily
have sun.
At the midnight they
were still lost.
Matt had left his GPS
and radio behind
so we have no idea
how to find them
and we were force to do
another dangerous
night time search
scanning the banks
with flood lights.
We finally found
Martin and Matt
on the stretch of
sandy bank
in a very white channel.
Martin was totally naked
and unresponsive.
Matt was also in a
strange state of mind.
It was as if they hade
seen or a heard
experience something
that had transform them.
At this point
Martin had exceeded his
previous world record
but this no longer seems
like a world record
expedition at all.
I was very scared
because he had over
and he was obviously
going insane.
PARINTINS, BRAZIL
DAY 47
At the 47. day
Matt stays up
for three days
and he was scribbling poems
about Martin and Jesus.
That shoe's jacked, man.
Mad had been ranting
and raving for days
and he was getting
on everyone nerves.
It was like Matt
was infected
by how Martin felt
and was that
enough comprehend
how crazy he was going.
...as like third
dog in the slay.
I was by
now use to this
seeing my father
goes crazy.
I had spent
half of my life
watching him
go to this point.
But only he knew
what is was about.
The areas east and
south of Amazonas
are the worst example of
forest station in the Amazon.
The state of Rondonia
is big like England
has been
and in the state of Para
and Mato Grosso
and the area of jungle
the size of small country
disappears each year.
Most of this is do
the cattle ranches.
Each year the
sky turns black
which smokes for months
as priest in forest
is burn to make
way for a new
car fits.
Countless species
of animals and plants
become extinguish
each burn season.
This is all simply
because of the world
demands to eat beef.
Even though the UN
relist a reports saying
that cattle production has
more humfer environment impact
then all the
cars in the planet.
The fast
food companies
are spending millions
to promote even more
cosumshen and
bigger burgers.
At the current rate
half of Amazon
will be cattle funds
by the year 2030
and by the end of
the century
not only the Amazon
but all the world's rainforest
will have to be
cut down to accommodate
the needs of planet
with 14 billion people.
ILHA DO PATACHO
DAY 52
At the day 52.
Martin scowlen was
flame dought by Amazon
and the doctor said
the swim was over
but Martin said, no.
I will find another
way to swim.
DAY 55
Now I cross...
fourth dimension.
DAY 60
On April 1.
we found out
from the doctor
that Martin has
been haven
subcontineus larva
infection in his brain
for nearly two weeks.
She hid this fact from
us on Martin's request
that we not stop the swim.
But her official diagnoses
was that Martin's problems
were the mostly mental.
What's happening?
What do you think
what's happening?
I think he's
at the low, low,
lowest level, lowest
level with the energy.
Probably his head
wants to like explode.
So, it's a really
weird reaction
I didn't expect that.
Clocking batteries, wires...
You guys just
get let him swim?
What else we
suppose to do?
What can I do?
What we can do?
I mean, what can
I tell Martin Strel?
Martin, I think you have
fucking mental problems.
Do you think... Think
you can please stop
yours world
record expeditions for
so maybe you can go to
see the fucking shrink.
DAY 63
Martin had
become so insane
by this point in the swim
that we even
didn't look on him
like a person anymore.
It was like he had
taken on the stado
of an animal
or a monster.
He was like Frankenstein
or The elephant man
but in the Amazon.
DAY 64
By the 64. day
Martin didn't want
to spent energy
on anything that
wasn't swimming.
He stops feeding himself.
He only want to spent
the physical
energy on swimming
and he wanted to
swim day and night.
This was also
nothing new to me.
I fed him
the same way
on the Yangtze and
Mississippi.
It was like keeping
a baby alive
but one that your father
swimming the Amazon.
The doctor advise
that Martin stand down
for at least a week
to avoid a heart attack
but he wouldn't listen.
I not allowed you.
-I must swim tonight.
At this point if you
are going to the water
I would recommend
against it
because he's too weak
he has some
experiences in delirium
and we can't have
him swimming like that.
The doctor made Martin
sign a paper
saying that she
was not responsible
for anything that
happen to him
if he swam at night.
There were also
a big concerns about
firevits at night.
Not even crazy Matt
want it to take the risk
and try to talk to
Martin out of it.
Finally I decided
to lead him myself.
I had been
in this situation
of swimming
with him at night
before in the Danube and we
are run over by a barge
and we are almost die.
All of us felt like
we are doing something
incredibly pointless
and stupid
but I knew it if
we didn't go with him
he would swim out
at night alone.
We get one life jacket.
One life jacket
on the boat
for six men and one gun.
One gun,
one life jacket
and the swimmer that
can barely stand up.
A little bit to the end.
Go.
Go.
A little bit.
Martin all of the sudden
jump out of the river.
We thought that
might he seen the shark.
But he said that
he saw a little
girl under the water
and it hororfright him.
We got you. We got you.
You just need to lay down.
Give him a bucket
or something.
DAY 66, EASTER SUNDAY
APRIL 7, 2007
Martin got to with in
His body was in such
state of shock
that he could have an heart
attack every second.
Even though he
had already bitten
his previous world record
by nearly 1000 miles
he swam the last three
which was still water
just like a lake.
BELEM, BRAZIL
There was media
from 20 countries
waiting for us
at the finish line.
It was the
hugest moment
in Martin's life
and I felt
like I should write a
statement for him
to read to the world
explaining why he did it.
"I like it to drink...
and I'm a simple man."
"There are
many people like me."
But the things
was so chaotic
that I lost my original
and I had to rewrite it
on the boat
we us approached.
Please. Please,
give as some room.
What's your name?
What's your name?
We'll write a fish man.
You are OK, fish man.
Fish man.
No, no, no!
No, no.
Do you remember
what we must tell?
How many can...
-Excuse me, no.
They are many
people like me?
...they realized that
even impossible...
...to save the world.
I hope the people
will remember me...
...I am very tired...
I just want that...
A,B,C, D, E, F, N...
Martin was visited
by many people
in the next days
who try to helped
him out from
of his fourth
dimensional state.
One of this was
the hotel preacher
who prayed for him and
even practice English.
Another was
a Brazilian band.
Finally, Martin refuse
to see anyone
and only allowed
the Brazilian preacher
to stay with him
who's also been a papito.
He was in there
with Martin for days.
A person,
who apparently
took his own life.
That would be
the shooter.
That's right. Now to
rezavnig question
why wasn't
the alarm sound it
in between
those two shootings.
Why was that first
shooting see in the morning.
APRIL 7, 2007
BELEM, BRAZIL
FIVE MONTHS LATER
In a few months
Martin gambled away
all over
sponsorship money
and had to return
to his day job.
I waited for the
talk show to call back.
Leather man, Conor o'Brain
and Jai Lenno
had all promise
to help him on
but they never called.
Martin Strel.
Who is this guy?
Some people describe
him like a dare devil.
Fish man, human fish
even craziest
man on the world.
Take a long time to
writing that statement.
Are you sad that didn't
get read to the world?
Yeah, it took
a lot of time,
energy and creativity.
Well, we would
try to present it
to the world by internet,
over the book.
It was really bad that
he couldn't make it
but what
we could do.
Nothing else. You know,
is only a human
and was not
able to do it.
Do you have the
statement here still?
I have.
I think I have.
You had it right there.
Should I read?
-Yeah.
My name is Martin.
You can see I'm not
Lance Armstrong.
I'm a little fat
and a little old.
I like to drink a little.
I'm a simple man.
There are many
people like me.
I hope they
see this swim
and realize they can
do impossibly things
even save the world.
I hope people remember
this rainforest is our friend
and stop destroying it.
Now I am very tired.
Please, excuse me.
I just swam the Amazon.
But he couldn't do it.
Now, I finally read it
and I hope you realized
it's worth now than never.
I set down with Martin
and told him ours
finished helping with him
ultra American swimming.
I going to college.
From the looking his eye
I realize that meant
he was finished too.
This is one horizontal.
And have more.
Very special picture.
Borut!
You have another one?
After Amazon,
Martin had the same
dream over and over.
He was swimming
the Amazon again.
He had to start over
from the beginning.
When he
started swimming
the Amazon picked him up
and let him fly over it.
And show him
the way it was
in the beginning
before man kinds.
And the Amazon said
this is the
way is was, Martin
and will be again for you.
No more distraction
no more suffering
and no one will ever die.
END