I met Giuseppe during the vernissage of my students' annual exhibition. He introduced himself as an architect with a past as a photographer and complimented my work. A few months later, I started photographing Joe the Aviator (one of his imaginary characters resulting from his bipolar disorder), and a friendship was born that still connects us today. Over the years, Joe has undergone significant changes in his life: the death of his mother, his hyperactive euphoria, trips to Međugorje, heart surgery, the death of his father in a hit-and-run, his encounter with the drug Lamotrigine, and his constant attempt to rise after every fall.

The story aims to explore the theme of loneliness, a theme that, in this era of extreme socialization and hyperconnection, might seem anachronistic, but represents one of the main ills of Western societies. The breakdown of deep connections with others is, in fact, at the heart of the modern emancipation project in the liberal model.