LITTLE WORLD. INTERVIEW WITH THE PROTAGONISTS OF THE DOCUMENTARY

Relevant statements that Albert Casals says at this interview:

- "Education is extremely important. The fact that I have never been said "don't do that" in an authoritarian tone influences my way of being".

- "The relationship with my parents has always been based on dialogue. When I do not agree on something, we talk, and I have contradicted them many times".

- "I have been educated to develop my critical awareness, to think by myself".

- "When I talked on my projects to other people, everybody said I was mad, but nothing has happened to me. This fact has made me self-confidence. Moreover, the experience has been incredible".

- "Probably, thousands of things that have happened to me would be negative for other people, but they have been fantastic to me".

- "When you accept that something could happen to you that will mean that you are not irresponsible. At the end, if you do not die, you are happy, and nothing happens to you that will mean that the things that happened were not bad. Actually, those things have carried you to the point where you are now".

- "What is serious is not dying at the age of forty or eighty... but living a life that you had not chosen".

- "I do climbing; I go upstairs without any problem. I was not different at school; at least, no more different than anyone wearing glasses. I used to play with my classmates as much as any other".

- "It will be hard to achieve what you set out to do if you do not act on strong philosophical basis. Otherwise, anyone will influence you at the slightest little thing".

- "The basis of Philosophy is thinking about the world and doing it in a critical, rational manner".

- "The most important thing is cutting yourself off from all false beliefs that want to be imposed and you do not like (earn more money, behave in this or that way ...). We must be critical on these beliefs".

- "When I travel, more than the scenery what I love most is seeing how people live, how they think and how they do things".

- "At school, we should be also taught practical things: how to mix with people, how to control your rage, how to solve situations ... Instead of things you would like learning, you are taught things that you do not want to know".

- "Many people I have met were bad not because they were handicapped. They were bad for other reasons. It is crucial to find what makes you feel happy. You have to think how you want to live and live like that".

LITTLE WORLD, A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A GREAT PERSON (WATCH TRAILER)

Nowadays Albert Casals is 22 years old. When he was 5, doctors diagnosed Albert leukemia and the strong medication he had to undergo to beat the problem caused him paraplegia. Since then he moves around on a wheelchair.

When he was 15, he started to travel the length and breadth of the world most the times alone and without money. These journeys have kept him away from his family and friends for long periods of time. With or without his wheelchair, Albert is uncommon, different. I would say he is almost unique. His personality seems to be made of a different stuff.

The glossary of his genes looks to be composed of words like altruism, happiness, freshness, optimism, affection, tolerance, courage. It has deleted other terms the rest of humans deal with, as resentment, selfishness, anger, unhappiness and many other everyday words.

The passion and power of his character does not leave anybody indifferent. The logical and convincing arguments he employs, whether we agree or not with them, encounter no opposition. The more we listen to him, the more we realize that the way we perceive the world is just a state of mind where the spirit of achievement and willpower has no limits. When there is an explicit aim, it is possible to overcome any obstacle.

Albert has not claimed the world fits him, but he is who has created his own world, their own reality, regardless of all the ephemeral values that society seeks to impose on young people every day.

As we learn from the documentary and from his words, his feats are closer to firmament than to Earth.

The film shows the journey that Albert Casals and his girlfriend Anna Socías do to get to the East Cape lighthouse in Auckland, New Zealand, the farthest point of our planet from his home in Barcelona. The movie mixes the everyday recordings, the interviews with relatives and some videos that Albert's father has made on his childhood over fifteen years. In the case of a character like Albert, the journey will not be a normal one, but another of the many challenges that our hero has faced throughout his life. Now they will set off on a journey of 30,000 kilometres in 200 days, and just with 20 € in their pockets.

Texts: Núria Farré. facebook@cinemaperaestudiants.cat

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