Documentaries to Watch About Hippies in Goa

Goa became famous after the Hippie Trail of the 1970s where hippies travelled overland from Europe to reach the beaches of Goa and Kathmandu in Nepal attracted by an alternative way of life inspired by ideas of the peace, love, freedom and travel in the beautiful tropical nature and spiritual atmosphere of India, not to mention the cheap living and hashish!

The hippies inadvertently kickstarted the tourism industry in Goa and even though things are a lot different now and Goa attracts tourists from all walks of life, not just hippies, you can still feel that alternative vibe in places like Anjuna and Arambol and met some hippies at the flea market or at a trance party.

Goa parties in the 80s. Photo Credit: Piers Ciappara
Goa parties in the 80s. Photo Credit: Piers Ciappara

Most tourists that come to Goa have no idea about Goa’s hippy history but I’ve found it really interesting and inspiring to learn about Goa’s hippy history. I recently wrote about books that you should read to learn more about Goa’s hippy days but if you prefer to watch rather than read these independent documentaries provide interesting viewing to learn more about Goa’s unique past as a hippie haven and how it shaped the Goa that we know and love today.

Last Hippie Standing – The Documentary

Last Hippie Standing is a 45 minute documentary made by the German filmmaker Marcus Robbin that compares the 1960s and 1970s hippie era with the scene in Goa in 2000 and shows how ‘Goa is not a place – Goa is a state of mind.’

The documentary contains interviews with hippie veterans like DJ Goa Gil as well as Goan locals and footage from the 1960’s and 1970’s filmed by Cleo Odzer, who wrote Goa Freaks, and is the only existing film account of the hippie era in Goa. Last Hippie Standing makes captivating viewing for anyone interesting in relieving this unique period of time and how it has influenced the Goa that we know and love today.

The Goa Hippie Tribe Project

Goa Hippie Tribe is an interactive documentary that tells the story of the original hippies in Goa, about people who shared a common space and time on the shores of Goa during the 70’s ‘hippy revolution’ and are re-united after more than 30 years via Facebook.

The documentary was made for SBS by Australian filmmaker Darius Devas, who spent his early years living on the beaches of Goa and travelled back in 2010 to document this unique re-union of an old community.

This interactive documentary is not only a collection of their individual stories but also an invaluable glimpse into a period of unprecedented cultural change and the project was the SXSW 2012 interaction award winner for film and TV.

Check out the documentary on the Goa Hippie Tribe website or you can also watch much of it on you tube.

Let me know if you know any more films or books about Goa’s Hippy past!

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3 comments

Ralph April 3, 2017 at 12:41 am

Love the life style in Goa.

Reply
Anna April 3, 2017 at 10:24 am

🙂 it’s interesting to know more about the history of this unique place too

Reply
My Tips for Enjoying Goa's New Year Parties - Global Gallivanting Travel Blog November 9, 2022 at 2:36 pm

[…] became famous in Goa’s hippie days as the birthplace of Goa trance and still holds epic trance beach parties and the colourful flea […]

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