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The story behind the film
by Ewa Hermanowicz
I was driving towards my office when I met Jorge for the first time in summer 2015. He was walking on the side of the via dei Tre Denari road of Maccarese. Backpack on his back and a watter bottle in his hand. It was a matter of seconds for me to decide to stop and offer a lift which he willingly accepted. We only spent a few minutes in the car as the train station where he was heading was close by. In those few minutes, he struck me with his optimism, honesty and wisdom and astonished by saying he lived in a tent just by that road.
That apparently random encounter regarded two people who are passionate about visual storytelling and photography. I lent Jorge a bike, so he could commute more easily between his 'home' in a tent pitched in a shack and the train station of Maccarese near Rome. Jorge shared his story. Occasionally, we shared food during lunch breaks. We spent time talking about what matters in life and what matters for telling a good story.
This film aims to capture the key moments of those 500 days of Jorge's life in Maccarese. He shares his key reflections and learnings to inspire others to enjoy the essence of life even when alone and living in basic conditions.
Life goes by and so came a moment to say goodbye as I was leaving for a longer period outside Italy and he decided to go back to Mexico. Our encounter and his chapter of life in a tent deserved telling that story to the world. The time was running all of a sudden, so in a matter of a few days we took to film a few interviews and document Jorge's life in a tent.
