By Romey Norton - March 29, 2025
Sebastien Wielemans' Nomad Solitude is a quietly moving documentary that delves into a growing yet often overlooked way of life- van life. Following three women (Laurie, Kristy, and Linda) navigating life on the road, the film presents a deeply personal look at modern-day nomadism in the United States. Through their eyes, viewers are invited to witness the beauty, hardships, and resilience that define a life untethered from traditional society.
At its core, Nomad Solitude is about survival, not just in a financial sense but emotionally and spiritually. Each woman lives in a vehicle due to a combination of economic circumstances and personal choices. Unlike some films that romanticise the open road, Wielemans takes a grounded, observational approach, capturing both the freedom and the isolation that come with this lifestyle. The film avoids heavy-handed narration, instead allowing the women to tell their own stories in an organic and heartfelt way.
For audiences familiar with Nomadland, comparisons are inevitable. Both films explore the realities of American nomadism, and there are even shared elements, such as the presence of real-life nomadic mentor Bob Wells. However, Nomad Solitude leans further into documentary storytelling, stripping away dramatization in favour of a purer, unembellished look at its subjects.
The cinematography is one of the film’s biggest strengths. Wielemans and his team beautifully frame the vast American landscapes—wide stretches of desert, sunlit highways, and secluded campgrounds—all of which serve as both sanctuary and challenge for the nomads. The visuals contrast with the small, often cluttered interiors of their vehicles, reinforcing the tension between the expansive freedom of the outdoors and the confined reality of day-to-day life in a van or RV. There are shots from social media channels, so we get an insight into what people post. Handheld shots of the women in their cars, and a fly on the wall type documentary style as we watch the women live in their vehicles. All these different shooting styles help show the ever-changing life on the road.
Kristy speaks candidly about the difficulty of maintaining relationships when constantly on the move, while Linda reflects on what it means to call a place “home” when home is always changing. Laurie, the most seasoned of the three, shares wisdom about adapting to life on the road.
Each woman shares their experience with raw honesty, and the emotions that come with being privy to someone's personal life so deeply flits between privilege and feeling desperately sorry for them. Some people featured in the documentary have YouTube channels where they share their way of life, have Amazon stores, still work, and ultimately seem very happy. What I did realise is just how materialistic we can be as a society, and these women show how you can just have the basics and be happy in life.
Nomad Solitude sometimes leaves broader systemic questions unaddressed. While the film captures the personal struggles of its subjects, it doesn’t delve deeply into the economic and social forces that have led so many people to adopt this lifestyle. A bit more context about the rising cost of housing, the changing job market, and how the U.S. treats its aging workforce could have added another layer to the film’s impact. However, it does answer some questions regarding how they earn a living, how safe they feel, how they manage any illnesses and opinions from their friends and family.
Nomad Solitude remains a compelling and humanizing documentary. It’s a film about resilience, redefining home, and the search for peace in uncertain times. It’s an interesting viewpoint and shows how what we see online is not always the reality. While I love the idea of the RV open-road life, I’m not there yet. If you’re a fan of documentaries and viewing the lived human experience, then Nomad Solitude is a must-watch!
Nomad Solitude had its world premiere at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival
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