Come As You Are

Director's Statement

COME AS YOU ARE is a story about love, unconditional friendship and lust. A story about humour as the only means to overcome painful situations. A film about intense desire as the most powerful motive behind man’s struggle to push back frontiers. Man is driven by desire: it creates the capacity to do things he never thought he would be able to do. The fulfilment of the desire is often secondary. It is a road movie in which the journey is more important than the destination. Lars, Philip and Jozef go out on a particular mission, but on a higher level, their journey represents as much a fight for independence as a fight for a love and friendship on their own terms. This independence presents new restrictions and limitations. For in many instances they must depend on each other and on the paid helper Claude. In this confrontation with each other’s limitations and talents, a complex interaction develops. With each mile, the experience of the journey and the bonds of friendship it brings about on the way, gain the upper hand on the visit to ‘El Cielo’. The way Lars, Philip and Jozef tease one another reveals deep affection. We don’t make fun of them, but they do it among themselves. Only true friends can bear that from each other. The three friends are well aware of each other’s weaknesses, and accept them. After all, disabled or not, we all have weaknesses and limitations, and aren’t we all struggling to chase our dreams?