Walter Salles, who is preparing a film of Jack Kerouac's seminal beat novel On The Road, has finished principal photography on a companion piece documentary in which he follows the trip taken by Kerouac's alter-ego Sal Paradise through North America.

'We met the several people who are still alive that he met in On The Road and interviewed some of the remaining beat poets like Gary Snyder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Diane DiPrima and spoke to people who were directly influenced by Kerouac like David Byrne and Wim Wenders.'

Going by the working title Searching For On The Road, the film is currently being edited and Salles says it will be completed before he begins production on the feature which he co-wrote with Jose Rivera and which is being backed by Pathe. 'I am hoping to start shooting in the fall, or maybe spring 2009,' he said.

'I learned much more about On The Road doing this film than I would have by all other means,' said Salles.