An eye-opening documentary sets out on a quest to find the world’s loneliest person, with a shepherd, an islander and forest-dweller making the final cut.
A team of filmmakers behind the YouTube channel Yes Theory said they spent four months ‘searching to find stories of extreme solitude and what brought these humans to such fates.’
In the film, they start by hopping to a remote part of Northern Italy where they find a man called Flaminio.
The hermit explains that he has has spent 52 years living in a farmhouse alone up a hill away from a village, after he was thrown out of home at the age of 23.
He has never found out why he was told to leave home, but after that incident, he decided to go solo and has never looked back.
A documentary sets out on a quest to find the world’s loneliest person. In the film, the the filmmakers start by hopping to a remote part of Italy where they find a man called Flaminio
The hermit explains that he has has spent 52 years living in a farmhouse alone up a hill away from a village, after he was thrown out of home at the age of 23
As he has not had any contact with the modern world, Flaminio has become quite an inventor and he has built an array of tools to help him get by
Now his flock of sheep are his only companions and he says it brings him joy every morning when he wakes to see them roaming around outside.
A translator in the documentary explains that Flaminio had pretty much no contact with the outside world for decades, ‘but in recent years has had one man as a connection to the nearby village.’
As he has not had any contact with the modern world, Flaminio has become quite an inventor and he has built an array of tools to help him get by.
In one scene he accurately tells the time using a DIY sundial, and in another clip he is seen sharpening knives using a homemade sharpening wheel.
He also shows off a pair of nifty skis that he has made with brakes on and from the same shed, he produces a pair of pants fashioned out of sheepskins, as the thick wool helps keep him warm during the winter.
As they sit in the kitchen sharing some bread, cheese and wine with Flaminio, the filmmakers ask him if he ever feels lonely, to which he replies ‘sometimes [but] not really.’
He continues on the subject: ‘At night sometimes I feel a little lonely… a little sad maybe. But in the morning when I see my sheep, it all feels better.
‘I felt bad a few years ago but I no longer feel so bad.’
Asked if the sheep are his closest friends, Flaminio explains that he has a volatile relationship with the animals and ‘sometimes yes, sometimes no.’
‘The male sometimes kicks me, I have to be careful,’ he adds.
He also suggests that animals are better companions than humans with some people out there ‘who treat you like a rag.’
Along with tending to his sheep and inventing things, Flaminio says his other passions include reading manuals and studying Chinese.
The film crew have a quick look in his simple bedroom where they find a giant spider. They joke that Flaminio probably left the bug hanging as a natural bug protector.
The second subject in the Yes Theory documentary is 20-year-old Erik Granqvist who has spent the last several years building his dream cabin alone in the woods of Sweden
After following some vague instructions taking them into a forested patch of land, the film crew finally find Erik and he shows them his DIY structure
His move was inspired by American adventurer Dick Proenneke, who lived alone in a cabin for almost 30 years in the wilds of Alaska
The second subject in the Yes Theory documentary is Erik Granqvist, who, the narrator explains is a 20-year-old who has ‘spent the last several years building his dream cabin alone in the woods of Sweden with the dream of learning how to become fully self-sufficient.’
After following some vague instructions taking them into a forested patch of land, the film crew finally find Erik and he shows them his DIY structure.
The outdoorsman explains that he decided to relocate to the woods alone just before he was 18.
His move was inspired by American adventurer Dick Proenneke, who lived alone in a cabin for almost 30 years in the wilds of Alaska.
Erik muses: ‘Everybody expected me to just keep on studying and stuff like that.
‘So, I felt a little bit stuck in that path. And then I saw this documentary film about Dick Proenneke who built his own life in Alaska.
‘There’s a documentary, Alone in the Wilderness, and that really got me inspired because he just basically just moved out there and then he could just live off the land.
‘That was a huge inspiration for me… and then I just went extreme and basically did it.’
Luckily Erik’s grandfather had a patch of land he could use to live out his wilderness dreams and he went about building a home using only natural materials.
He lives simply, with no internet and only patchy cellphone service.
While he felt a little bit alone at first, Erik says he got used to the solitude and and he now has a girlfriend for companionship.
Asked how his new way of life has impacted him, Erik replies: ‘Actually, it’s made me less shy, strangely enough.
‘Back in the day I had more social anxiety and stuff like that. So strangely enough, by removing me completely from other people, I actually gained more confidence.
‘I think probably it’s because I got the confidence that I can do stuff with YouTube and stuff like that. I think I’ve grown more confident and more able to speak with people and express myself.’
After building a loyal social media following, with his footage showcasing his outdoors lifestyle, Erik says he hopes to inspire others.
He concludes: ‘My biggest inspiration now is to inspire people like the way I got inspired by the documentary that I watched.
The Yes Theory team head to Greece, to find one more person living a life of solitude. They take a sailboat to the uninhabited island of Kinaros where they meet 78-year-old Eirini Kotsatourchi
Eirini has been living alone of the remote outcrop since 2013, when her husband died and she inherited the island from her family
To survive, she farms crops and keeps chickens and she also gets regular supplies from a nearby island shipped in
‘So, now I want to do the same thing, hopefully.’
Lastly, the Yes Theory team jet over to Greece, to find one more person living a life of solitude.
They have to take a sailboat to the uninhabited island of Kinaros where they meet 78-year-old Eirini Kotsatourchi, who is also known as Mrs. Rinio.
As the filmmakers near the island, they say: ‘Well… it’s much bigger than I thought it was, actually.
‘She’s got a lot of space for being on her own. I’m getting a little nervous now that we’re approaching and we don’t know if she’s there and if she’s going to be interested in seeing us.’
Luckily, Eirini is there to meet the film crew and she welcomes them into her humble abode.
She explains that she has been living alone of the remote outcrop since 2013, when her husband died. The island belonged to her father but when he died, she promised she would look after it and she has been the sole caretaker since 2000.
To survive, she farms crops and keeps chickens and she also gets regular supplies from a nearby island shipped in.
Asked if she feels lonely on the island, she replies: ‘No, I’m not afraid, nor do I care that I am alone.’
Every year, Eirini’s son stays with her for two to three months, and in the documentary, she shows how she keeps photos of him on display around her simple farmhouse.
Moving on to her daily routine, Eirini says that she wakes up at 2am, and then at 5am she goes to feed her animals.
She will then stay with the animals until noon, with the main job being to clean their areas. Then, in the heat of the afternoon, she prefers to sleep.
After sharing some homemade liquor with Eirini, the Yes Theory team bid her a fond farewell and thank her for letting them into her home.
Following their voyage to meet three of the world’s loneliest people, the filmmakers describe it as an inspirational trip.
They say: ‘The more time we spent with these three incredible humans, the more fascinated we became.
‘They’ve all experienced loneliness, but somehow eventually found peace, joy and laughter in the simple daily tasks around them.
‘Their sense of purpose in taking care of their animals or building and lots of time spent outdoors seems to have greatly contributed to that lightness in their spirits.
‘Loneliness is a natural symptom of feeling disconnected from our own sense of humanity and from others.
‘Some of us may see connection more than others, but ultimately, no matter who you are or where you live, I hope that you remember that there are people out there waiting to make a friend just like you. Don’t let a chapter of sadness make you believe otherwise.’
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