A documentary about living a nomadic life on a sailboat with Ryan and Sophie, who have done it for six years. We sail down the East River in New York while they tell their story.
"You can choose the date, or the place. Not both." Ryan and Sophie left Stockholm on a sailing trip that was supposed to last six months. Six years later they were still out there, and this was their answer every time we talked about me coming to sail with them.
Last summer, Sophie texted me: "You should come and sail with us in Canada in two weeks."
I really wanted to, but there was no way to fit it in. So I replied: "Wait, aren't you passing New York on the way back? I can find reasonable flights there." She said yes. And I added: "I also want to make a film about your life on a sailboat."
In September, Mira and I packed our bags and flew to New York. I was more excited about living on a sailboat than she was, so we booked a hotel for the week, sailed for a couple of days and did the city the rest of the time. In hindsight, a wise decision.
The nomadic life is often sold as blue water, sandy beaches and a laptop next to a coconut. There is always a darker side to it, and it rarely gets shared.
Ryan and Sophie have been through a lot in six years at sea. Mostly good things, but also some really rough moments, like being stuck on their boat in paradise during the Covid lockdown. Not nearly as nice as it sounds.
Ryan has also sailed across the Atlantic on his own, and what he experienced on that crossing will probably stay with him for the rest of his life. How do you deal with something like that? And how do you have a relationship on a boat, where you live on top of each other in a space smaller than even a tiny apartment?
Those were the things I wanted to understand, to paint a more complete picture of a life that is the complete opposite of what most of us are taught to live. What are the benefits? What are the downsides?
We tried to answer it all while sailing down the East River with New York as a backdrop, and spent the night just below the Statue of Liberty.
This film is No. 5 in 100 Documentaries. Read more on the film's own page: The Greener Grass.