Long Way Up visits the Peruvian Amazon
13,000 miles, 13 countries, two familiar faces. One Cool Earth partnership and more than a few challenges along the way.
In 2019, actors Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor set off on one of their now-famous expeditions. This time, Long Way Up. A 150-mile a day drive from the southern tip of Argentina all the way up to Los Angeles, but this time, with a difference. Travelling by electric motorbike.
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman paused their journey to spend time in the tropical rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon. Visiting one of the Asháninka communities Cool Earth works alongside, they saw first-hand how local people are developing sustainable incomes to tackle deforestation and are committed to finding the best ways to protect the forest.
The documentary was filmed in 2019 before the world would face a global pandemic. Coronavirus spread to rainforest communities worldwide, causing food shortages and a loss of income for thousands of families. Cool Earth’s Rainforest Resilience Fund supports rainforest people with urgently needed food, medicine and fast-growing seeds so they can remain resilient despite the huge challenges ahead.
“It’s a different way of thinking. It’s empowerment. It’s…a sustainable income, rather than chopping down the forest. I think this place really works I love it here.”
Charley Boorman