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Like a Skinny Ant

Like a Skinny Ant tells the story of an extreme journey that weaves together adventure, solidarity, and science, revealing the fragility of human beings in the face of nature’s vastness.

In a continent that seems endless, a man on a bicycle becomes a tiny witness to the vastness of the world. Like a Skinny Ant follows Alessandro de Bertolini on a journey across Asia that is both an adventure and a personal reflection.

Over the course of 75 days and 7,500 kilometers, Alessandro rides solo from the Altai Mountains in Mongolia to Kathmandu, Nepal, crossing the Gobi Desert, China, the Tibetan Plateau, and the Himalayas, with a passage through Everest Base Camp.

More than a physical journey, the film weaves together solidarity and science. De Bertolini physically connects two humanitarian projects—the Ger Camp in Mongolia and the Rarahil Memorial School in Nepal—while carrying scientific instruments to collect atmospheric data for the National Research Council (CNR) of Rome.

Shot independently, without a film crew or support vehicles, the visual diary captures the fragility of human presence in the face of nature and the curiosity sparked by encounters with diverse cultures, stories, and ethnic identities.

Alessandro De Bertolini

Alessandro è ricercatore presso la Fondazione Museo storico del Trentino, dove è responsabile del settore dedicato agli studi di storia del territorio. Il suo lavoro si concentra sul paesaggio come fonte storica e sulle principali trasformazioni che hanno interessato l’Arco Alpino.

Parallelamente all’attività accademica, lavora come viaggiatore e documentarista. Tra le sue esperienze rientrano la traversata in solitaria del Nord America dalla California all’Alaska e diversi progetti realizzati in collaborazione con Montura Editing.

Informazioni sul film

Regia: Alessandro de Bertolini e Alfredo Croce
Titolo originale: Like a Skinny Ant
Anno di produzione: 2026
Scritto e filmato da: Alessandro de Bertolini
Montaggio: Alfredo Croce e Alessandro de Bertolini
Paese di origine: Italia
Durata: 44 minuti
Casa di produzione: Montura Editing

Una produzione realizzata per Montura in collaborazione con Aringa Studio

Meet the author

Alessandro De Bertolini


Born in Trento in 1979, he is a researcher at the Fondazione Museo storico del Trentino, where he leads studies on territorial history and the landscape as a historical source, with a particular focus on the transformations of the Alpine Arc. A registered journalist, he contributes to newspapers and journals dedicated to Alpine culture.

Alongside his academic work, he is a traveler and documentary filmmaker. He has cycled across numerous countries in Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, producing travel reports, books, and documentaries focused on landscapes and slow travel.

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