I was in Alexandria, Egypt, when I met Romansi working in the port area. He welcomed my friend and I to his family's home, which was small and modest yet filled with a lot of love and hope. After hearing his story, I felt a strong urge to share it. His story is representative of the way a lot of people feel regionally and globally: that they possess a lot of talent and desires, but feel stuck in their lives. Later that night, I received an email about this contest, and had just two days left in Alexandria to shoot him. My friend and I could not reach him until two hours before we were set to leave Alexandria. So we jumped on a minibus towards the port and eked our way on his boat as the sun was setting. Although I would have liked to film more about the larger context of his story, there are constraints that we cannot control and I made the best of the situation. I believe that every individual has a beautiful story and telling it can be powerful. I think by sharing our stories, we can realize our interconnectedness in this world.
