THE LEGEND OF LANDI follows one man’s dream to build a city at sea and filmmaker Oswald Horowitz’s search to find him. Horowitz became obsessed with Seasteading—the idea of creating cities in international waters—and began looking for anyone actually attempting it.

He soon heard rumors of a fugitive living on a platform off the coast of Iran. Horowitz set out to find him, but he was not the only one. The Italian government wanted to put the man in prison for 14 years. After tracking down one of Landi’s business partners in Serbia, Horowitz earned his trust and found himself living on a platform in international waters with Samuele Landi. Horowitz was enthralled by Landi’s project and grew increasingly excited about the prospect of floating cities. He hoped the film would chronicle the rise of a city at sea. But fate had other plans.

Days before Horowitz’s return, a violent storm destroyed Landi’s platform. Landi’s body later washed ashore in Dubai.

The focus of the film shifted. Horowitz began to investigate Landi’s life, asking what drives a man to move out to sea—and who Samuele Landi truly was.

He discovered a man whose guiding principle was freedom. Landi refused to be caged. He sought freedom not only for himself but for all those he came in contact with. Horowitz learned that, as Liberian ambassador to the UAE, Landi helped rescue hundreds of Liberian girls who had been sold into slavery.

Since Landi’s death, Horowitz has learned how others see his life as an inspiration. Landi’s death is not the end of Seasteading, but the very beginning. This film seeks to immortalize Samuele Landi as one of the early pioneers in a movement to create civilization at sea.