Pierluca Rossi

Pierluca Rossi, born in 1962 in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Italy, is an Italian filmmaker, photographer, documentary director, and adventurer with a passion for travel, known for his commitment to accessible tourism for people with disabilities. Pierluca Rossi has traveled to more than 120 countries, notably cycling across the 200 kilometers of the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland, paragliding over the dunes of the Ténéré desert in Niger, and crisscrossing the globe by every means possible, capturing images of a spectacular, intense, fascinating, and sometimes even terrifying world. At the age of forty, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He, who had lived without limits, had to accept the ever-increasing limitations imposed by a disease that progressively restricted his mobility, but without giving up, he never abandoned his determined exploration of the world. He thus continued his travels, notably a memorable journey to the Algerian Sahara, which was followed live by the AISM (Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association). He has made documentaries and projects such as "A Ruota Libera" (The Free Road), an initiative to help people with disabilities travel independently using accessible maps and routes, presented at events combining music and travel stories with Sara Morganti and the groups Visioni and Ultrasuoni. A published author with Polarise Editore, he has also documented expeditions, directing "Lungo La Pista Dei Contrabbandieri" (The Trail of the Contraband) (1990) and "Desideri Di Sabia" (The Desires of Sabia) (1992), which were presented in competition at the Trento Film Festival, illustrating his ability to transform physical challenges into inspiring stories of discovery. His life embodies a ceaseless movement, where illness has neither dampened his thirst for adventure nor his fight for a more inclusive world. Pierluca Rossi died on January 23, 2016, at the age of 54, he was buried in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana.