Synopse
Radu pitches his small tent in Deadhorse, the northernmost community in Alaska. The midnight sun keeps him awake all night. The next day, he sets out on what he thinks will be a nine-months bicycle journey southward, across the two Americas. Three years and over 34.000 kilometers later, he is still pedaling.
Radu is not your typical born-to-be-wild hero. His short stature, high-pitched voice, thick glasses and introverted nature make him an unlikely candidate for such a challenging quest. Yet, with no money, and minimal gear, he sets off. It is his unique answer to society’s overwhelming pressure on young graduates: “get a job, build a career, start a family”. He would much rather embrace the unknown than a predefined life.
He battles snowstorms in Canada, faces armed robbers in South America, crosses the Amazon in monsoon season, and climbs the highest volcanoes in the Andes. But Radu's biggest challenge is not the distance. It's himself. He sets off carrying heavy burdens: childhood trauma, hypochondria, heartbreak and a crippling sense of alienation and self-doubt. The ever-changing scenery and the people he meets start to give meaning and purpose to his life. His lifelong fears begin to fade, his sight improves, and he discovers a confidence he never knew he had. He touches people’s lives everywhere he goes, yet never stays long enough to form meaningful connections.
His loneliness is his sole constant companion, and he starts feeling that reaching his destination might throw him back to the life he rejected when he embarked on this journey. So, instead of cycling south, he starts zig-zagging through all the countries on the two continents.
Just when it seems like he might keep riding forever, an unexpected online romance gives him a reason to finally reach Argentina. The man who finishes the journey is nothing like the one who started it: he is no longer running away from life, but racing toward it, ready for whatever adventure comes next.
Radu is not your typical born-to-be-wild hero. His short stature, high-pitched voice, thick glasses and introverted nature make him an unlikely candidate for such a challenging quest. Yet, with no money, and minimal gear, he sets off. It is his unique answer to society’s overwhelming pressure on young graduates: “get a job, build a career, start a family”. He would much rather embrace the unknown than a predefined life.
He battles snowstorms in Canada, faces armed robbers in South America, crosses the Amazon in monsoon season, and climbs the highest volcanoes in the Andes. But Radu's biggest challenge is not the distance. It's himself. He sets off carrying heavy burdens: childhood trauma, hypochondria, heartbreak and a crippling sense of alienation and self-doubt. The ever-changing scenery and the people he meets start to give meaning and purpose to his life. His lifelong fears begin to fade, his sight improves, and he discovers a confidence he never knew he had. He touches people’s lives everywhere he goes, yet never stays long enough to form meaningful connections.
His loneliness is his sole constant companion, and he starts feeling that reaching his destination might throw him back to the life he rejected when he embarked on this journey. So, instead of cycling south, he starts zig-zagging through all the countries on the two continents.
Just when it seems like he might keep riding forever, an unexpected online romance gives him a reason to finally reach Argentina. The man who finishes the journey is nothing like the one who started it: he is no longer running away from life, but racing toward it, ready for whatever adventure comes next.
Fotogalerie
