ROUTE – the documentary

In 2005, Alex Bellini embarked on an unprecedented solo challenge: setting out from Genoa, he attempted to row across the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The expedition did not succeed immediately. After two failed attempts—one of which ended in a shipwreck off the island of Formentera—Bellini finally accomplished the feat on his third try. During the crossing, he endured profound psychological crises, five days without food, and the constant strain of risk and isolation. After 227 days and 11,000 kilometers at sea, he reached Fortaleza, Brazil, completing an extraordinary journey that had never been attempted before.

Twenty years later, the film revisits that expedition using exclusively the original MiniDV footage, complemented by a contemporary perspective embodied by an artificial intelligence. This narrative device observes, analyzes, and attempts to understand what drives a person to venture so far beyond ordinary limits, propelled by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and embracing the unknown as a path toward self-discovery.

ROUTE

A film by and starring Alex Bellini
Co-directed by Francesco Clerici
Written by Francesco Clerici and Francesco Giarrusso
Edited by Francesco Clerici and Andrea Paganini
Cinematography by Alex Bellini
Sound Editing and Re-recording Mix by Tommaso Barbaro / FULLCODE
Executive Producer Francesca Urso
Produced by The 5th Element
Distributed by Nieminen Film