First Pick: Mountains of the Moon is the ultimate quest movie. It is the story of two expeditions during the nineteenth century to discover the source of the Nile in Africa. The central character, Richard Burton, is a historical figure who was a widely traveled explorer, scientist, poet, and linguist with a yen for cross-cultural experiences.

More cinematic depictions of questing:

• A classic film based on an autobiographical work by G. I. Gurdjieff depicts his spiritual search for truth. (Meetings with Remarkable Men)

• Some high school students from a coal miners' town decide to build a rocket, a project that turns into a quest to find new options for their future. (October Sky)

• A young Japanese man's undertakes a pilgrimage in Iceland to bestow a blessing on the parents he took for granted. (Cold Fever)

• A mild-mannered salesman taps into his yearning to explore a wider world. (The Truman Show)

• A free-spirited single mother seeks a new life in Marrakech. (Hideous Kinky)

• Two Englishwomen want to see the real India, a quest that has disastrous consequences for British-Indian relations. (A Passage to India)

• An intergalactic adventure story centers around a knight and his apprentice. (Star Wars Episode I)

• Search for all films about questing.