“We Are Not Islands” is a piece of puppet theatre created for video with a clear aim to invite reflection and transformation. It presents viewers with the loneliness of an elderly character and their vital need to reunite with childhood at a time when lockdown has shattered the possibilities of meeting. The story’s development is a poetic journey full of metaphors that we weave around this character to transmit dual narratives: of abandonment and hope, play and neglect, melancholy and happy ending.

We Are Not Islands is inspired by the true story of Roberto Román, an elderly man from the city of Buenos Aires who dedicates his days to making little paper boats. Every day, he takes the boats in a cardboard box and sits down with them next to the gates of a local school. When the children come out of school, they run to see him so that their “grandpa” can give them a little boat to take home. It is a moment of happiness. Pure love. Pure poetry.

Link to a video about Roberto Roman

The tenderness of this figure, who has found a way to continue connecting with life with such a simple yet powerful act really struck a chord with us. We asked ourselves, what will his days be like now, in isolation? How will he navigate this sea of loneliness until they can all be reunited?

“We are not islands” is a co-production with Espacio Abierto Quinta de los Molinos from Comunidad de Madrid.

*This creation is suitable for all audiences.