Alone Across Gola - Finding Clarity in the Wilderness

Join explorer and filmmaker Jude Kriwald for an evening exploring how wilderness experiences can fundamentally reshape our understanding of contentment, resilience, and what truly matters in life. With the screening of his award-winning documentary, Alone Across Gola, and compelling personal storytelling, Jude examines the transformative power of stepping beyond our comfort zones and into the unknown. The evening begins with Jude's remarkable journey cycling solo from England to India at 19, enduring -31°C temperatures in the Pamirs, navigating through Afghanistan in the middle of war, and sneaking past 30 military checkpoints in Tibet. This epic adventure sets the stage for his documentary Alone Across Gola, which chronicles his attempt to retrace a lost track through the rainforest, a route lost to time in Liberia’s civil war. The film captures both the stunning beauty and brutal reality of one of West Africa's most remote wildernesses, whilst exploring the deeper question of what drives us to seek meaning through adventure. The heart of the evening delves into the hard-won insights learned during Jude's time alone in the Gola rainforest, where the absence of modern distractions and safety nets stripped away everything but the essential. Through vivid stories from the jungle, he explores how genuine hardship can paradoxically lead to greater contentment, how self-reliance becomes a form of empowerment, and why seeking meaningful experiences rather than simply happy ones can fundamentally shift our relationship with life's challenges. These insights emerge not from theory, but from the raw reality of surviving in one of the world's most demanding environments. The evening concludes with a compelling examination of how adventure, whether grand expeditions or smaller personal challenges, can serve as a catalyst for change, particularly for those seeking clarity in an increasingly complex world. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session, offering the audience an opportunity to explore these themes further.

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