A filmmaker discovers a lost roll of film and quests to find its owners. What follows is a trip that reaffirms our belief in the kindness of strangers and the power of travel.
There is nothing more heartbreaking than losing photos. So when filmmaker Todd Bieber found a lost roll of film in Brooklyn, NY, he decided to develop it and see if he could find the owners.
The endearing short film he made about his project went viral on YouTube, sparking an international effort to solve the mystery. After 800 emails from around the world, Bieber found the photographer, a young student who had been visiting NY from Paris.
So Bieber and his girlfriend took off on a European roadtrip. Along the way he met up with strangers who had emailed him about the video and aided his efforts in finding the owners, who he met on his last stop in Paris. Throughout the trip, he took his own photos and decided to start the cycle all over again. He took out his film and left it on a random Paris street with the following note: “It happened once, it can happen again. If you find me, I’ll buy you a coffee and we’ll become friends. It’s the beginning of an adventure.” Now it’s up to the world (and YouTube) to bring the film home.
Call us saps but we’re rooting for Bieber. His adventure represents everything we love about the discovery of travel and its ability to remind us of the best in people. What do you think? Have you ever benefited from the kindness of strangers in foreign lands? And what would you have done if you found the photos?