The Story of a Forced Path: Nomadland

Nomadland presents the journey of a modern nomadic lifestyle that emerged in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 economic crisis.^【1】 The economic crisis, which began in the United States with widespread mortgage defaults, provides a crucial backdrop for the film’s exploration of the concept of “home.” The protagonist, Fern, who lost her husband, lives in a modified minibus (not a caravan) and travels to various locations to find work and earn a living. In Nels Anderson’s book Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless Man, hobos are described as follows: “It appears that the hobo lifestyle is highly selective. Sustaining it requires the ability to move from one job to another and from one place to another. Adapting to new and different tools, machines, jobs, and locations is a natural consequence of their mobility. This adaptability applies to all hobos who open themselves to broader horizons.^【2】 Fern, living this reality in the 21st century, sometimes harvests potatoes with her bare hands in a field, sometimes packages and ships ordered goods, and sometimes cleans toilets... Like the hobos, who represent the tradition of constant movement and inability to remain in one place for long, Fern travels far to pursue work that calls her; even when no call comes, she continues searching.

^{Frances McDormand (as Fern), Nomadland (}IMDb⁾

In 21st-century America, a large middle-aged population has emerged, mirroring the protagonist Fern’s situation after the crisis. This group, which had previously sustained their lives before the crisis, was deeply affected by its social consequences. The community that chose this lifestyle as their only path and identifies as nomadic is merely one of many casualties of the capitalist system. The film, which observes the consequences of economic collapse, tells us in simple and unadorned language how Fern and the people she meets along the way truly live. In the film, which re-examines the concept of “home” from alternative perspectives, Fern emphasizes her condition of rootlessness and alienation by stating: “I’m not homeless, I just don’t have a home. They are two different things.^【3】 The film suggests that in today’s world, the pursuit of a permanent home or shelter has become futile, presenting instead a vision of a world where transience has become permanent. It reveals to the viewer how the changing global order has shaken the foundations of many long-standing routines.

^{Nomadland Official Trailer (}Box Office Türkiye⁾

The capitalist system destroys human lives in pursuit of its own economic interests and continues moving forward without looking back at the ruins it leaves behind. The people we encounter in the film evoke the character of Daniel Blake from Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or-winning film. ^【4】Within the same system, Daniel Blake struggles to survive through different stages of similar problems. Despite all this, the director’s aim in the film is not merely to depict the misery imposed by the system, but to envision a livable life. The film shows how people, in response to the crisis brought by capitalism, form communities to hold on to life and endure.