BELOW SEA LEVEL

“Those who think that these people are living on the margins of society are those who feel responsible for them,” Rosi says in an interview about this portrait of Slab City, a caravan sanctuary in southern California that is beyond the reach of all state norms. He approaches the people living under the desert sky as equals, joins them on camping chairs or in the untidy, broken caravans, and lets them speak. Rosi spent a long time with them before making the film. Everyone has marked their own territory – they all know each other, but they only gradually grow closer. For many, the place is just a transit point. They go by strange names such as Bulletproof, Insane Wayne or Bus Kenny. Behind the names lie tragic life stories, which come to light between time spent philosophising, idling, dealing with relationship issues and performing small jobs. A powerful examination of the possibilities and limits of freedom.