Giuseppe Bertuccio D’Angelo: «My work? Travel the world in search of happiness “

What is happiness for those who flee from war and set out in search of a better existence? And what does it mean to be happy for volunteers and professionals who spend months at sea to offer their help to migrants? It was these questions that pushed us Giuseppe Bertuccio d’Angelothe thirty year old creator of the Happiness projecta young storyteller from Messina, starting: «I set sail with the ship Ocean Viking of Sos Méditerranée, in the direction of Libya, to document the rescues of migrants adrift in the deadliest section of the Mediterranean ». At the end of that experience, Giuseppe’s life was never the same: it took almost a year to metabolize what he saw, heard and experienced. Then he decided that what he had shot with his GoPro should be shown to his many followers: “Of all the adventures I’ve lived around the world, the one on the Ocean Viking was the most difficult: there is no happiness in seeing a body without life floating in the sea ».

And so an exciting one was born docu-reportagewhich tells everything, live, even in a crude way: from the days of training, to the emergency calls, to that terrible shipwreck of April 23, 2021 when 130 people died, up to the rescue of 236 people, an experience to which Giuseppe Bertuccio d’Angelo took an active part.

He then interviewed the survivors to understand the reasons that led them to risk their lives at sea. He thus discovered what they were running away from, what their dreams and desires were, and he also asked them what happiness is: “In the interviews I collected, some boys of my age tell of the atrocious torture they suffered. , inhuman things, in places without light, without media attention, without control. In such a situation, far from everyone’s eyes, the executioner becomes even more cruel. I hope, with my reportage, to open the eyes to those who ignore and also to those who perhaps have always preferred not to see ».

She is carrying on hers Happiness projecttell us about it?
«Happiness Project is a great journey, a journey through different cultures, traditions, religions and all the infinite nuances of the human being to understand how the concept of happiness changes in the world. To find out, I decided to travel to all continents and interview extraordinary characters, learning from their words what it means to be happy for them. However, it would have remained a useless project if I hadn’t tried to share these precious encounters with as many people as possible, and so a couple of years ago I decided to open my YouTube channel to make my adventures live, at least virtually, even to those who don’t. he could travel. ‘

What is happiness for you?
“I could answer differently every time I am asked this question because I believe that our sources of happiness vary according to our evolution and our life path. It is important for me to love and be loved right now. Now I really feel the desire to give, to give love, kindness, generosity, understanding to all the people I meet on my path, and to receive it without waiting for it. It is not at all simple, because it is much more complex than that, but it is an exercise that I try to do in my daily life ».

He pursues happiness, but now a documentary of his filmed on the Ocean Viking has been released. There you don’t feel much happiness, on the contrary, you feel anguish, fear … That of these people is a search for missed happiness. When and how did the idea for this project come about? And where can we find a corner of happiness in that story?
“It’s true. There is very little happiness in this report, but I felt the need to explore situations where happiness is apparently absent. In reality, experiencing first hand the rescues in the Mediterranean Sea, you realize that happiness exists, but it is primitive, essential. Happiness there is to survive, to drink clean water, to fill your belly after days of fasting. It’s being able to call your mother after months of silence and tell her you’re still alive. After saving 236 people, I assure you that Sos Méditerranée’s ship was an explosion of happiness and seeing how the lives of rescuers and rescuers intertwined inextricably was an unforgettable moment for me ».

Are you supporting Treedom? Such as? Can you tell us about the Happiness Forest project?
«It is a project that I really care about because it reflects the values ​​of the project. I founded this virtual forest together with Treedom, in which all the people who follow me can plant a tree virtually, but which will then be planted for real and will support the farming families who will take care of it. It is a great virtuous circle that not only protects our environment, but improves the lives of millions of people living in poverty. I love to collaborate with brands like Treedom because if I hadn’t founded Progetto Happiness I would have certainly wanted to be part of a company like that ».