Robert Redford has done it all in cinema. Adventurer, thief, journalist, hunter, lover, husband, policeman, author of Indecent Proposal. In each of his performances, he not only enamored half the world but also inspired the desire to visit every place he stepped foot in. Below, we highlight all these wonderful places that we now more than ever will want to visit to follow his trail.
'Out of Africa': passion in Kenya
The iconic image of Redford (portraying professional hunter Denys Finch Hatton) washing the hair of an enchanted Meryl Streep (playing Baroness Karen Blixen) in a bucolic setting in colonial Africa has long been etched in the history of cinema. Specifically, 40 years ago, the film Out of Africa was shot in Kenya, the setting of the novel by the aforementioned Danish aristocrat, who signed it with the male pseudonym Isak Dinesen due to the sexist demands of the time. "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills." This is how Out of Africa began, the official English title, a true representation of life in the British protectorate of East Africa at the beginning of the last century. Redford and Streep unleashed their passion amidst the magical sunsets of the national parks that populate the country. From Mount Kenya to Amboseli or Masai Mara, unique places that must be visited at least once in a lifetime. Just like they did, whether flying over those classic yellow biplane landscapes, having a picnic in the middle of the savannah, or enjoying tea in the beautiful colonial house of the protagonist. This house still stands and can be visited just 16 kilometers from the country's capital, Nairobi, in the neighborhood named in her honor, Karen.
Washington in 'All the President's Men'
Although the current US President, Donald Trump, has announced a new headquarters for the FBI, it will be almost impossible to pass by the brutalist building J. Edgar Hoover in downtown Washington without thinking of films like All the President's Men. Based on the eponymous book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, published in 1974, the film tells the story of the journalistic investigation that uncovered the Watergate scandal, leading to Richard Nixon's resignation. The map of the capital has not changed so much that we cannot follow the footsteps of this legendary film that takes us through the famous Lafayette Square Park, right in front of the White House, or the imposing Library of Congress. The Watergate apartment building in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, where Nixon's henchmen broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters, still stands. As does the Kennedy Center, next to the Potomac River. Everything remains the same today... Or perhaps not quite the same. After all, Washington always reflects the occupant of the White House.
Natural Montana and 'The Horse Whisperer'
In 1998, Redford starred in this famous film alongside a young Scarlett Johansson (Grace MacLean) who loses a leg in an accident with a horse (Pilgrim) when they are hit by a truck, leaving both traumatized. To help them overcome this, the teenage girl's mother, who is only 13 years old, turns to Tom Booker (Redford), a cowboy with special abilities to communicate and heal these animals. However, he is located in Montana, so the mother and daughter embark on a long car journey from New York, where they reside. The film is characterized by the spectacular natural landscapes it showcases, including meadows, crystal-clear lakes, and picturesque mountains. The main scenes were filmed on two ranches, Taos and Home of the Horses, actually located in New Mexico. Another ranch in Montana, Swan Lake, was also used for filming.
Together in New York in 'Barefoot in the Park'
The on-screen couple of the recently departed actor in Barefoot in the Park (1967) was a young Jane Fonda (Corie) with whom his character (Paul) had just married, moving into a modest apartment in New York. Although this is the main setting of the film, the city of skyscrapers is another undeniable protagonist of the movie. In fact, the legendary Plaza Hotel, with its curious French Renaissance style, is the refuge where they unleash their love during six days of honeymoon before moving to their new home. This home, located on a fifth floor without an elevator, is in an old building in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, a pilgrimage site for fans of the film. The journey continues to Staten Island, where the characters go to eat at an Albanian restaurant. Not to forget Washington Square Park, where he seeks solace after arguments with Corie.