Filmmaker @robindanehav is on a mission to create 100 documentaries about everyday impact makers. 🎥 His goal? To create change at scale by inspiring every human with an internet connection to dedicate just a few percent of their time towards something beneficial to the planet or its inhabitants.
In this episode, you're going to hear all about what fuels this journey, plus:
👉 Insight into how you can make an impact in your own community
👉 Advice on storytelling and interviewing
👉 Why you should reframe your side hustle as your main purpose
And so much more!
#travelpodcast
If people close to you are telling you not to change, it’s probably exactly what you should do. But it might not be easy. Here’s my story.
Story time: Who am I and why do I do what I do?
My mission to make 100 impact documentaries feels too big at times. But when I connect back to what got me here it all makes sense again.
I discovered being drawn to visual things very early in life with point-and-shoot analog cameras when I was little.
At 25yo I actually started my first business making crappy websites just to afford buying my first digital camera (2005). I had still no idea what I was doing, but I enjoyed it.
Two big events have shaped so many years of life: my little brother passing in 2004 followed by my dad in 2007. I buried my grief deeply and kept working, but the feeling grew I was not in the right place.
After working for a number of years, in 2007 I needed a change so I enrolled in a one year full time tv production course. It took all my savings but I felt it was the right thing even though I heard on repeat it’s a tough market and got advised against it.
Started working in that field as an employee but shifted into a full time freelancing videographer in 2009. Since then I’ve ran film production companies… But I always felt that something was missing.
After a lot of soul searching, in 2022 I narrowed it down to:
🏮 I want to travel and see new places
🏮 I am good at making films
🏮 I’m curious about people
🏮 Storytelling can make the world better
The mission was found where these overlap.
The 9th film is being created right now and a few more are in the pipeline.
Everyone asks me if I make money off of this. And the truth is: I don’t.
But I’m able to finance it by making Impact Documentaries for brands that align with me. The goal this year is to be able to make it a 50/50 split between these two.
I’m now 45yo, finally processing my traumas through these docs (and some therapy) and life is good.
People were advising me against this project too. They mean well. But I take their hesitation as a pointer that I’m on the right track ❤️
How did you end up where you are today? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Always push the boundaries 🎸: Never limit yourself by accepting "This is how it should be done" advice from more experienced people without trying to figure out WHY it is like that.
Unless it's a life and death situation, because it might be harder to recover from ☠️
Always turn the knob to seven, and sometimes event to eight.
Watch the while film featuring @rothhandle on Youtube - The link is right there in my highlights.
#analogmusic #analogsound #filmmaking #documentary #storytelling #musicproduction #learnalways #curiosity #makingmusic #analogmusictoys #musicstudio #100films
Trying to gather my thoughts. But it’s a lot to process.
So I’m back home in Stockholm again.
I spent one month on the road. First in India with @mira_thimmayya@thimmayya and @yaourtpowaa which was seriously awesome.
Bangalore ➡️ Mysore ➡️ Coorg ➡️ Bangalore ➡️ Goa ➡️ Mumbai.
We visited Mira’s and Max’s family, did a ceremony for their parents, talked to elephants, ate insane amounts of food, relaxed on a paradise beach infested by colorful kayaks, drank 65 lime sodas sweet & salty to stay hydrated, and just learned to accept and appreciate the constant chaos that is India.
I loved it. Seriously. But then I needed a break. Which I had planned for, so while the others went home, I continued to Bali.
Here I did it the exact opposite way. I went to familiar places. Same gym as last year. Same breakfast spots. Just to calm my nervous system. And it really worked.
Because of the Middle East situation this part got extended a bit from one to almost two weeks.
It was crowned with a visit to @lostparadise.world hosted by @martinhenryvrana who had filled the place with friends.
Thanks to all these people, the setup, the sunsets and the activities, it was one of these incredible experiences that sticks with you.
I am still in this positive grateful state of mind.
This was not at all an analysis of anything. But I’m still working on processing everything.
And tomorrow, I’m off to northern Sweden for the second block of shooting days for a documentary with @impactdocs.studio .
Life is a roller coaster, and I love roller coasters 🎢
(📸 @thimmayya at Galgibaga Beach, Goa)
48 hours where 14 strangers become friends? 🏝️
I can’t even begin to describe this. But in short, @martinhenryvrana closed his resort and invited friends (which in Bali can be people you’ve met briefly once but enjoyed the conversation) to come and hang out together.
We went snorkeling, and we had a party with BBQ and loud music. And so many conversations.
One of the coolest things for me was that I could invite @yude_man who I made a film about one year before I met Martin. It’s always a magical moment where two of my protagonists meet in real life and I already knew they would connect.
Writing this as I’m waiting to board my flight back to Sweden. And I still have that feeling of gratitude for this experience lingering in my system.
Thank you everyone who was there. I unfortunately didn’t catch all of you on camera, but here are some Gili Trawangan snaps.
What terrible world leaders can learn from a dirt road in Uganda? 🇺🇬
That we humans are made to collaborate. Not fight.
Working together in large numbers is what made our species into what it is today. And that was made possible because of our communication skills.
Something some people with way too much power seem to ignore.
Anyway. This was just another one of endless TIA moments (This is Africa) that we encountered on this trip 🧘🏽
Thanks @pilengrim@deokuset@isakfriberg and Daniel for keeping the spirits lifted!
If you want to check out the full documentary about coffee in Uganda, it’s available on my YouTube. DM me and I’ll send you the link!
😎
🐢 I dove down, and there was a giant turtle just swimming about her day.
I fed fishes with bread and they ate from my hands.
I saw the giant underwater statue that I’ve seen in so many videos. (The funniest thing about it was watching the 523 people splashing around trying to pose with it.)
But the best thing about this early Monday morning snorkel trip was the people I got to share it with.
@martinhenryvrana@zoooouk@nad_allaround@bram.damen@simonefroschkonigin@pierre_toullec ❤️🙏
Aaaaand, the fact that I managed to resist renting a GoPro to film underwater. Instead I could be fully present.
Really trying hard to learn to slow down here.
Yesterday I made progress and turned down two opportunities that sounded super fun (thank you @martinhenryvrana for inviting me), because I allowed myself to feel what is right for me in the moment.
Instead I had a lot of solo time. Focused on getting some work done. And just walked on the beach (and spontaneously ran into @theatlasmartin who I haven’t seen in a year)
And what I’m most proud of: I DIDNT EVEN BRING A CAMERA!
That one is tough though 😂
Sooo, naturally, here are some iPhone snaps.
One just for the diary.
Days here are so elusive. Wake up. Breakfast. Then 6 hours pass and it’s time to prepare for sunset.
Today I have a meeting with a client in Sweden at 8pm, which feels like a weird time but looking forward to continuing that project 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Because how much fun is an empty beach anyway?
There are different flavors to travel. And I like it balanced 🌆🏝️
My insta feed is over flowing with posts like “If you plan your Bali trip, do this instead of this” etc etc.
And I totally agree, but disagree too.
While I know Bali, and Indonesia have soooo much to offer, this is not the main reason I keep coming here.
For me the two main flavors of travel is 1) Adventure 2) Peace.
And after having privilege of spending 3 weeks in India with constant activities, meetings, impressions overload and general chaos, that side of my appetite is already completely saturated.
So when I come to this beautiful island now for the 5th time, I stay in the same place as last year, I go to the same gym, same restaurants and I rent a scooter from the dude I already have a WhatsApp conversation with.
It’s familiar, easy and relaxing.
And I’m not perfect. This is something I choose, even though my FOMO is still lurking in the background, knowing how much there is to experience just around the corner.
But I’ve learned that I need this. Time for me. Time to recharge. Just integrate what I’ve experienced. And get some focus work done.
And according to me, there is no where better in the world to do that than here in Pererenan just outside the Canggu intensity, in Bali.
It’s like slow city life but with a beach vibe. And just the right amount.
Because while an empty paradise beach looks nice in pictures, they tend to bore the hell out of me 😎
We found this from Apple TV’s screen saver.
If you have an Apple TV you know that there are screen saver drone videos from beautiful places. If you don’t, just take my word for it.
I usually sit and watch these in awe of how incredible this planet is and how many places there are to visit.
Then a couple of months back, this incredible beach showed up. And I had to press the little button on the remote to see where it’s from.
It said “Cola Beach, Goa, India” which is crazy since we had already decided we were going to Goa.
So naturally the other day when searching for a place to stay here, we had to look Cola Beach up.
And then we found @dwarkabeachresortgoa . A tiny but incredibly beautiful, calm space which was exactly what we needed after 8 days fully packed with activities.
So we booked it and here we are, and I love it.
Today we’ve been basically camping out by the table where we had breakfast, all day, just anti-activating our brains.
Which is difficult for me. But good.
