Hello web nomad. Welcome to this part of the digital world.
My name is Paolo, I am a millennial and a nomadic filmmaker (you can find here some more news about me). In 2019 I started my research to discover nomadism. I took four flights, traveled for 12 hours in the Air plateau, and lived with Berbers in the middle of nowhere protected by armed guards .
After this crazy experience, the WE NOMADS project came to life. A nomadic film aims to preserve nomadic culture. A journey of discovery of my self digital nomadism and Tuareg ancient traditions.
In the blog you will find news about:
- the journey of the nomadic film WE NOMADS
- pass, present and future of digital nomads
- pass, present and future of Tuareg nomads
Why is WE NOMADS a nomadic film? What is transmedia storytelling?
When I decided to make a documentary on nomadism, I immediately thought that the classic film format was not suitable for telling the journey of this film. I wanted the film to be a nomadic experience too.So I decided that WE NOMADS would be a transmedia storytelling project.
Transmedia storytelling is a format that moves through different channels with different contents. In the transmedia project, the user travels among channels and reconstructs the meaning of the story by interacting with all media.
Starting from this concept, I designed my idea for a new format: the nomadic film.
This format has these characteristics:
- The cinematographic work must have two or more narratively independent audiovisual contents connected to each other
- One or more of these contents must be enjoyed exclusively, in different locations from others (physical and or virtual locations)
- The cinematographic work must be drillable that is allowing people to go deeper into the story and make a journey of looking for contents
- The continuity of the audiovisual contents must be respected. This value repays the effort of viewers who assemble audiovisual contents in a general meaning's vision.
- The meaning of the narrative must be learned even without knowing all the parts of the cinematographic work.
In a nomadic film, each content is designed for the channel of use. Because the channel is itself bearer of a message.
WE NOMADS tells two stories: mine and that of Ibrahim Kane Annour. Ibrahim is a Tuareg nomad and has lived in Italy for 20 years. Despite the economic difficulties, he helps his community which still lives in the Niger desert. I am an Italian filmmaker who wants to become a digital nomad. I travel around the world to discover this new global phenomenon. These stories will be told through the blog, my social channels, a documentary film, and exclusive audiovisuals contents.
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Who are digital nomads? What’s their evolution?
The higher value of digital nomads is freedom, so we cannot put them in a category. That means freedom to travel, but above all, freedom to be supporters of their destiny, to choose the life they desire, where they want to live.
Freedom makes digital nomads a very diverse group of people.
Having a profession (or passive financial support) that does not tie them to a physical place (city, office, or country) is the feature that unites all digital nomads. This phenomenon was unknown a few years ago, but Covid spread worldwide the remote work, and many people discovered the existence of this lifestyle. It is expected that in 2035 digital nomads will be over a billion.
Today, there are about 35 million people in the world who call themselves digital nomads. This movement has given rise to new trends driven by technology and growing demand for flexible workplaces such as coworking.
In this environment, there are many fascinating stories to be told. There are famous backpackers and influencers, but there are also communities of digital nomads who want to create a state on the internet and break down the restriction of national borders. There are digital nomads who are building small communities for nomadic families, and others still wish to do remote work training schools for the Third World. No one knows with certainty what the future of digital nomadism will be and what social impact it will have on the world.
I have returned from Bulgaria, where I attended the Bansko Nomad Fest 2022.
Bansko Nomad Fest is one of the biggest digital nomad events in Europe.
Every year in Bansko, remote workers from all over the world, who have made digital nomadism their way of life, get to know each other and exchange ideas (video).
It was my first experience at a digital nomad festival, and it clarified my ideas on how to proceed with my research on the history and future of digital nomadism.
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Who are Tuareg nomads? What’s their future?
Meeting Tuaregs in North Africa is easy. When you want to take a trip on a camel in the desert, probably, those who accompany you will have an indigo turban and present themselves as Tuareg nomads.
By now, the name Tuareg has become a brand. It is a stereotypical and commercial image in our minds. But the nomadic culture of the Tuaregs has a long history, and their traditions are disappearing. We risk to remains with the tourist version of their rites.
The "real" Tuareg nomads are a Berber population who live in an area among Mali, Niger, Alegria, Burkina Faso and Libya. The borders imposed by Western governments have divided the tribes, but the identity of a nomad can't be closed with borders. However, the West has brought terrorism, civil wars, corruption and poverty.
Despite the difficult conditions Tuareg nomads are proud of their identity, but global warming is killing the flock and many children are forced to leave the nomadic life to look for a job in the city. Today more and more people in the world become digital nomads, while in Africa, those who have been nomads for thousands of years - and want to continue to be - are slowly dying out and with them their values and cultural heritage.
Ibrahim Kane Annour is a Tuareg who lived in Italy for 20 years. He escaped from a civil war in Niger and he has been an African tour guide for 30 years.
He is still a touristic guide, but he doesn’t earn much money and he does public utility work to survive. Ibrahim has understood that education is the only chance for saving nomads. Especially in his country.
According to Save the Children, Niger today is the worst country in the world where a child can be born. In Niger, every Tuareg nomadic family has an average of 4 children.
Ibrahim’s dream is to build near every Tuareg camp: a well, a school, and a vegetable garden. Nomadic families would still live in the desert, and this model would allow them to educate at least one of their children.
Thanks to the vegetable garden, the school would be self-sufficient and could feed the students. So the children would continue their studies. They would learn a profession as doctors, nurses, professors, engineers, etc. They would find a job, and they could go back to the village to help their people preserve their culture.
This is Ibrahim’s dream, but the possible futures for the Tuareg nomadic people are not so bright.
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