Présentation
"Life of Steen" is the story of a man who chose to be a nomad for life since the age of 13.
I bumped into Steen on a stormy day in March 2019. Both walking our dogs. I immediately felt intrigued by his characteristic appearance, his friendly eyes and his soft way of speaking. Steen had moored his ship that weekend at a dock in Amsterdam and he invited me over. Curious as I was I accepted the invitation which was the beginning of our friendship.
I cherish the many stories he shared and the adventurous life he led. I admire him being unique and not bothering what other people think of him. His independence, making the ship self-sufficient, allowed him the freedom to move it wherever he felt at home. Our shared passion for photography deepened our friendship. Steen revealed his past as a photographer in the ’60s and ‘70s, but he preferred the spontaneity of living day by day, often changing jobs.
A year after I first met him, Steen had to give up this way of life because of his declining health, old age, and lack of money, leading him to sell his beloved ship, which had been his home for almost 43 years.
Always afraid of a life ashore, he now lives in his old camper-van on a piece of land, owned by his ex wife and her husband, without running water and electricity. Here, he tries to build a new, self-sustaining life and find a sense of home. However, his yearning for his old life persists.
After Steen's presence became too much for the owners of the land, they have forced him to leave his self-created paradise. With the help of a good friend, Steen was able to move to a piece of land behind a large empty farm. The remains of various cancers and surgeries haven't knocked him out yet, but Steen has no energy left to again create a new paradise, new dreams or adventures.