American Nomads

American Nomads

8.45
12345678910
Ratings: 8.45/10 from 129 users.

Beneath the America we think we know lies a nation hidden from view - a nomadic nation, living on the roads, the rails and in the wild open spaces.

In its deserts, forests, mountain ranges and on the plains, a huge population of modern nomads pursues its version of the American dream - to live free from the world of careers, mortgages and the white picket fence.

When British writer Richard Grant moved to the USA more than 20 years ago it wasn't just a change of country. He soon found himself in a world of travelers and the culture of roadside America - existing alongside, but separate from, conventional society. In this film he takes to the road again, on a journey without destination.

In a series of encounters and unplanned meetings, Richard is guided by his own instincts and experiences - and the serendipity of the road. Traveling with loners and groups, he encounters the different 'tribes' of nomads as he journeys across the deserts of America's south west.

More great documentaries

guest

139 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Alexandros Papageorgiou
Alexandros Papageorgiou
6 years ago

Anyone knows the music song in 28:30 of the documentary??

Golfinho
Golfinho
6 years ago

our narrator looks horrified at what he’s encountering. you’d think someone who says he’s spent twenty years’ on the road as a ‘nomad’ would be a people person taking delight in who he meets.

P. Kelly
P. Kelly
6 years ago

Four years ago I had to watch my highly successful older sister metaphorically 'drown' from the weight of all the possessions she couldn't give up after losing her husband and well paying job. All she had to do was downsize and lighten her financial burden, but her property, possessions and the appearance of success were what she'd built her life around. She killed herself, I'm heartbroken to say.
Having seen what clinging to temporary possessions can do to destroy your life, I've decided to stop spending all my money on paying rent and to buy an RV to live in, instead. The US no longer has an adequate safety net to protect the elderly and ill from homelessness and food shortage, so while I can I'll begin a new, nomadic life with friendly others who are going the same direction.

Tony
Tony
6 years ago

wow why is it so long?

Dennis Schreier
Dennis Schreier
8 years ago

I loved it.. I have an ever increasing desire to sell it all and wander,Free!

Christophet Stryker
Christophet Stryker
8 years ago

I am one of the "American Nomads". I am currently on the road. I choose freely to live this life. it has been a blessing to be able to live a truly free life while ithers seem confined by financial obligations. i only have my dog and myself and i am truly happy. And honestly it is none of my business what others think about me. i am free, i am happy, and i got everything i need. if i can bring a smile to one person's face everyday then it is all worth it.
Love and peace...
BamBam

jackie
jackie
9 years ago

Awesome my desire also to live and enjoy

mike
mike
9 years ago

i commented on this about 10 months ago.

i`m seriously thinking about being semi-nomadic.
if i knew how bad the world was going to be now - i would have bought a camper van instead of other material things.
as an estimate - i`ve `wasted` at least £45,000 over the past 18 years.

i could have bought a kick-ass camper van / RV and just lived in that. rent-free. no bills.
i would have kept it on my neighbours farm. out of the way.

i wouldn`t have debts like i do now.
the way things are going - i`ve been seriously contemplating change for many years. i`ll have to concider the near-future options...... possibly going off-grid using tents. selling / dumping my material things in the process.....

Charleszzzzz
Charleszzzzz
9 years ago

Comfry please move to civilized areas. Always looking over your shoulder is not a healthy way to live. Stop running from your happiness and yoursadness. Live your life fall in love have a home. Enjoy life for real. Not all freedom frees you from yourself. Sometimes life is supposed to be an inconvenience but you can do it. You are a handsome and smart young man who was given a gift greater than anything responsible parents could ever give.
You have your mind and your will and your health. Stopliving tve life of a nomad and clean yourself up. God bless you Comfry.

brighid
brighid
9 years ago

Just thought I'd let ya'll know that Comfrey is alive and well-this doc ended on a worrisome note. Managed to track him down through mutual traveling friends.
Anyways though, I loved this! I've existed in the rodeo and traveling kid ways of life, and the portrayal here rings quite true. Again, loved it

mike
mike
10 years ago

i`m living in a small flat. in/out of work. i`ve always enjoyed camping + caravaning as a child. i`ve lived near forests. it`s the profound natural pull of these places/travelling that makes us feel misreable in our 9-5 jobs.

we`re lying to ourselves when we sit in a concrete jungle.

i`m in my mid 30`s. more and more, i`m finding myself camping out. the live of watching squirrels run up trees right by me. the shooting stars at night through tree tops. animals walking by.

this is the true nature of being human.

no amount of money, materials and social circles can match the natural living of being free.

i`ve been thinking about it for a few years. eventually, i`m gaining the skills and knowledge to live off the land.

then i`ll give up the flat. move to the woods.

and then that will be my home. the world around me.

TRUE FREEDOM.

ZZ
ZZ
10 years ago

full of interesting ideas and beautiful description by RIchard Grant...but i got lost and confused as he started his documentary by being himself on the road for years and nowadays he cant stay 3 weeks in his rented home until he leaves again and at the same time most of the nomads he met i felt he was biased against them and what they are doing is wrong ...i would like to know his real opinion as an experienced nomad of this lifestyle its "bads" and "goods" so we can learn practical thing from this documentary. thank you. enjoyed it and learned alot!

Sam Ros
Sam Ros
10 years ago

Temping as a lifestyle... But hard thing to do in Sweden. Would probably freeze to death or been eaten by a polar bear...

James
James
10 years ago

Very well done! Makes me wanna quite my job! Ha. :)

Julien
Julien
11 years ago

Mother Nature heals.

Brandon McGinnity
Brandon McGinnity
11 years ago

Spent much of the last 5 years traveling on and off, backpacking mainly, but some hitchhiking and tramping around in my truck (rubber tramp), doing seasonal trail work, all kinds of stuff. Used to be able to fit everything I owned in my little Ford Ranger. Now, having watched this, I'm looking around my room in disgust at all the stuff I've somehow collected over the last 9 months. That guy Yogi is doing things right, and I gotta get back to that somehow. I miss that freedom, the open spaces... and owning all this furniture and stuff just feels like a burden sometimes.

SilverBee
SilverBee
11 years ago

I watched this documentary because today I chanced upon a young man who is a genuine modern American nomad. He came into the library where I was a patron, asked the desk to use the computer and managed to get a guest card so he could do that. We started talking, exchanged a couple of tales of our own personal adventures and decided to become penpals via email. I was impressed by him, especially by his openness and willingness to engage in conversation with what, to him, was an elderly woman. He must have had a good mother to make him as comfortable as he seemed. At least, that's who I attribute such an attitude to. Or maybe it's because he is a nomad, one who, by his own report, has been on the road for at least a couple of years, his 90-pound pack on his back, his face reddened by exposure to the weather. He has already written to me, and I can see that he will one day write that book, as his wrote entertainingly, articulately. I look forward to hearing from him again. He ended his email by saying, "At any rate, that's my story.Your turn." Kind of reminded me of young Comfrey in this film--intelligent, personable, likeable. Just not as heartbreaking, though.

Sarah de Bree
Sarah de Bree
11 years ago

I love the ending. This was a very inspirational documentary c:

Sam Haslam ?
Sam Haslam ?
12 years ago

This documentary is amazing. There's something incredibly special about it, though I can't put my finger on what that is. It think the presenter/writer, Richard Grant, has a lot to do with it. I love the meandering journey he takes us on, both geographically and in his style of presentation.

It's more than that though. It's the (broad spectrum of) people he meets too – They've decided to de-shackle themselves from the usual drudgery of every-day, 'regular' life – the bills, mortgage, 9–5 job etc. Some stories aren't as happy as others, but all are handled with interest and tenderness.

It's 90 minutes of freedom – an escape for the mind.

All this along with the beautiful scenery and kind of quirky slide-guitar soundtrack, it just culminates in one really beautiful, heart-warming (in places) piece of film-making.

I couldn't recommend it high enough to those who, like me, view the free-living travelling life through rose-tinted spectacles. And if you do watch it, also like me, you'll look high and low for other documentaries written/presented by Richard Grant one the credits roll.

On the strength of this film I've just ordered his book, Ghost Riders, and am thoroughly looking forward to getting stuck into it.

commenturion
commenturion
12 years ago

the description says there's a "huge population"of nomads. I'd like to know: how huge?

Michelle Thomas
Michelle Thomas
12 years ago

We are actually featured in this documentary. We are a family of 4 that has chosen the nomadic lifestyle. We are not hippies ... and no we are not tweakers. We are actually one of hundreds of families that live in their rv and travel the states full-time. No bridges were burnt and we were not forced into this lifestyle. My family does spend our winters in Az (Quartzsite) and although there are many "hippies" and homeless there it does not mean they are on meth or are bad people. I honestly think those of you that have nothing nice to say are just jealous that you cannot live as freely and simply as we choose to.

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

Gotta say, this Documentary wasn't so bad. It's always good to see how other people in this planet of ours live...sadly, many are in a terrible state. I would also love to see the Nomadic Life of the Middle Eastern Bedouins!

Xercès Des Stèles
Xercès Des Stèles
12 years ago

take a deep breath, in the name of jesus ho! eesha la deedeedeedeee

where is the world going..

christian jean
christian jean
12 years ago

this could have been way better if it was presented by somebody else. this guy has no idea what roughin it is.

TruthSeeker
TruthSeeker
12 years ago

This Comfry kid seems like he has a good head on his shoulders.
Someone should offer him a scholarship to a university so he can make use of his smarts and maybe have less of a hard life.

Sam Haslam
Sam Haslam
12 years ago

It's had a profound effect on me this documentary. I watched it about 2 weeks ago and I think about it every day. In it, I think I see my future.

Marko Capoferri
Marko Capoferri
12 years ago

Have to nitpick:
Slab City is not in the Mojave Desert, but in the Colorado Desert which is the name of the California portion of the Sonoran Desert.

I'm about 1/3 of the way thru the doc and I'm enjoying it for sure.

I'd recommend reading Wallace Stegner's 'Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs'. In it he dissects the myth and consequences of the drifter/loner/cowboy/American westerner archetype.

Norman Hawk Nordic
Norman Hawk Nordic
12 years ago

1:04:20 = Best bit
Pull your self together man, this wondering life suppose to be pursuit of happiness, not the life long commitment to the road, when you meet the right woman and want to settle down and start cranking out kids, just buck up and do it!

Sam Haslam
Sam Haslam
12 years ago

I loved this documentary. I'm so pernickety when it comes to documentaries I like, and they can range from the most extreme of subjects, but this absolutely hit the note for me. Well shot, scripted and presented - I really liked the writer/narrator/presenter. Couldn't recommend it high enough ;o)

BellsNwhistles
BellsNwhistles
12 years ago

I taveled the nation for years as a telco installer. Living in KOA type camps and enjoying the local interest on weekends. The life style can be what ever a person wants or a complete bust. The police are the big problem day and night, employment helps but many small community's do not really know how nasty the local law enforcement are to "transients" at two in the morning.

alaina zboralski
alaina zboralski
12 years ago

hmmm..i dont know about this documentary. It doesn't feel like there is real heart in it. I dont like the fact that he has the balls to meet/record/interview someone along his travels and call him crazy to to camera. it's hard for me to explain it..the narrator doesnt seem to have much soul. GAh...and how he introduces the bison as a rare species, how special they are- and the next scene he is indulging in a bison steak.

Richard_Canard
Richard_Canard
12 years ago

Excellent, Thank you. I sure miss the roads and rails of Cannada.

Boy Toy Troy
Boy Toy Troy
12 years ago

the Eagle that passed inches by your windshield was a messenger...

lakhotason
lakhotason
12 years ago

Well you said petrol. Have you ever been to the southwest USA?

GeorgeB
GeorgeB
12 years ago

Interesting Documentary. Will be retiring in few years and my wife and I are thinking in selling the house, buying a 5th wheel and traveling the west.

CapnCanard
CapnCanard
12 years ago

Excellent doc. I always thought that the American ideal was a cluster flock. I suggest that it could be said that Americans are slaves without realizing that they've capitulated and eagerly enjoy being captive to this failed economic system. Consider that Native Americans can't make their living without participating as slaves. There is no freedom for them or us. Freedom is just another way of saying nothing left to lose.

Youssef
Youssef
12 years ago

Wow... this is an amazing documentary. I'm not a nomad, but I suffer from the american wanderlust! I've travel around the states quite a bit, but I hope to do it in more detail!

Bryan Samaranayaka
Bryan Samaranayaka
12 years ago

haha everybody Is talking about Bill XDD about the choice of being in the road full time is something weird to me, I mean, maybe they are happy when they are moving but when it comes time to work in order to stay alive they are not happy because like the mountain guy said "I make enough money in order to not work" similarly to what the Wall Street guy did. we are not slaves in the urban jungle, we are slaves to food, shelter and equipment, and so are these people, but I wouldn´t use the term "slaves" I think that the only people that truly are contempt are the rodeo cowboys because their work is what they really love so they don´t have to worry about anything, unlike the ones that travel just for fun. being a Nomad is great just as long as your a working Nomad. because when I see people like "the lost children" with there dog. are they really happy going through garbage for food,begging in order to drink alcohol and maybe other drugs? can that life style be just as happy as any other life? it goes agents almost every single thing that we fight for, that pushes us, why we take care of ourselves, why we worry. we worry to feed our child, not to leave him with his mother and go off on the road. are you just as happy? it´s a very interesting question. because if that´s true. if we are happy anyway, because of the fact that we get use to things so we might as well do what we feel like to. what´s the point of any type of discipline, of obligation, of "doing what´s right" ?

Far Spam
Far Spam
12 years ago

In the uncut version you see interviews with the girls giving the BJs at the truck stop ;-)

freemycatfish
freemycatfish
12 years ago

I enjoyed this. It reminds me of how the BBC used to be before the lefties took the place over and started filling every program with their Marxist propaganda.

This Doc showed me something of an American way of life that I, as a Brit really envy. Out there you have the space that is lacking in this little island to go out and be a free as a bird if that is what you choose. I would love to do as this guy did and go over to the States to taste some of that freedom. This was a great little program and I enjoyed it. Thank you.

Aaron Seyer
Aaron Seyer
12 years ago

The best documentary I have seen on this site in weeks! Thanks! I want to go to slab city...

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

Great doc, i am a nomad in my own different way.
az

Lost&Found
Lost&Found
12 years ago

Thanks for taking me back to the road. The TTT IS creepy. Nothing like being east of Tucson and hitching into a stolen car.

KsDevil
KsDevil
12 years ago

It's shows like this that make me hate my job with a passion and become very jealous of people who are truely free. What's an broken down old man to do?

Daniel Grajales
Daniel Grajales
12 years ago

Really great!!! :D I consider my self a semi-nomad... and when I watched it I just felt the euphoria again... to go out and hit the road...
@bill I invite you to travel... it's a great opportunity to meet new people, new cultures, new languages, and to expand your mind. That's the way you start to question more about how the world works and what makes people happy... and what really worths in life. it's amazing to be shock by nature landscapes, mountains, rivers, beaches, everything is wonderful! and finally you just realize that you don't need too much to be happy. My whole life has been packed in two bags since the last two years... and I think it's even too much... I want to reduce it to one... :D really... travel... you're never too young, or too old for traveling. Greetings!!!

Timmy Suckmeister
Timmy Suckmeister
12 years ago

I really enjoyed this. It highlights a group of people that the majority of us never come into contact with.

Joe
Joe
12 years ago

This is a must see. With the changes in America this is what it is about. Find what you love, not what the "herd" thinks you want. Hope to see more from Richard Grant, like all BBC docs.....Top Shelf

Brent Stuhley
Brent Stuhley
12 years ago

Excellent documentary, showing the variety of people who have taken to the road for one reason or another. Thanks for sharing!

PaulGloor
PaulGloor
12 years ago

If people didn't want to be on the roads bill, they wouldn't sell their homes, they would find themselves steady employment (they are perfectly capable of finding temporary work), they wouldn't dig themselves so thoroughly into the lifestyle that it consumes them, heart and soul. They wouldn't be happy people unlike many of us full time slaves out here in the urban jungles. I imagine you've heard that little voice in your head that wishes it would all just go away and asks the questions 'do I really need to be here ?, would anyone notice if I left ?'

lakhotason
lakhotason
12 years ago

I do a fair amount of road trips and Bill is right about one thing. Most of these people don't want to be on the road. By one means or another each has burned his bridges and has no where else to go.