NOVEMBER – 29 – 012. AT 20:10World traveler Mato Simunovic and his dog traveled 360 000 kilometers the globe by bicycle, on foot and in a small sailboat. They traveled for 19 years and visited 70 countries and thousands of islands by the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

World Traveler Mate Simunovic (1900th -1969.) Drove his bike, walked and sailed in a small sailboat 360 000 kilometers. He traveled for 19 years and visited the 70th countries. About that time he wrote the most prominent world newspapers like the New York Times, La Prensa, El Telegrafo, The Straits Times, Shanghai Herald and others. When his small boat was wrecked near the coast of Sumatra, Globus his dog saved his bag of waterproof fabric, which included a diary and hundreds of negatives that were shot on the trip.

After 19 years of traveling he has come back from Egypt with the boat “Podgora” to port Bakar. On the second day he was arrested in Zagreb because he photographed a group of women in front of a shop while they waited in line for the goods in the stores.
After having passed the entire world and crossed the wildest country, and outsmarted many border patrol, could not go anywhere from Yugoslavia. He was constantly suspicious and imprisoned. His dream of a documentary film, for which he had supported from Harry Truman, was dissolved. By the end of his life he worked at the Vjesnik tobacconist in Vrgorec where talking curious memories from the trip and showing his travel book. In fifties some of Yugoslav newspapers published articles about his travels. And then he was forgotten. He died in 1969. and was buried in his native village Stilja.
Mato Simunovic one of the few who, after nearly two decades of absence from Croatian, back in the old country. Relatives and friends were rejoicing that their mate returned from the world. But few Vrgorac not quite understand why the mate is not financially wealthy. He simply book around with a big bag and suitcase full of photographs and negatives, which is the world record. Few, if any at that time to know that Mate Simunovic – World brought greater wealth than all of his predecessors – have returned from the white world. He brought a fascinating collection of stories about his pioneering venture. These stories are one of the largest monument not only Croatian but also international globetrotter.

Director: Stipe Bozic