across the sea
Despite the European Union's commitment to democracy and human rights, the tragic loss of thousands of lives within sight of EU shores continues. In response, civil sea rescue organizations have dedicated themselves to making the invisible visible.
Through the firsthand testimony of a refugee, shared immediately after their rescue during a Sea-Watch mission, we gain insight into the system of human traffickers faced on the journey to safety.
"Across the Sea" is an ongoing exploration of the tragic reality of the continuous loss of lives at European borders.
In April 2019, when Crew 21 of Sea Watch 3 found themselves stranded in the port of Marseille, it became a stark reality that governments exert considerable efforts to block civil sea rescue, leading to the regular detention of ships at ports. A fully functioning crew—ranging from seafarers to doctors—was left in port, and instead of saving lives, they could only perform maintenance work on the ship. To shed light on their perspectives and what it's like to be stuck when you are so close to helping people, I initiated a portrait project. All they had left was maintenance work, and I captured the exhaustion and concern etched on their faces at the end of a workday on the boat. While the people they could have saved perish at sea.
Sea-Watch owes its existence to its remarkable activists who invest substantial effort, time, and skill in maintaining ships, and carrying out rescue missions. They are the heartbeat of the NGO, turning dedication into action to confront the challenges of the Mediterranean crisis.
Kim, 37, England
“The Problem is not the fact that there are people floating in the sea. We can Fix that. The problem is very clear, it’s that there is this idea of segregation, this idea that we are protecting ourselves in some way, when we enforce our borders. The E.U. was founded on the Idea of stopping war, of stopping suffering, but as a Continent we are waging war, and creating suffering. We are waging war against people who, right now, are held in detention centers in Libya, being tortured, being raped, forced to watch murders and other unspeakable things. We are creating suffering though our inaction, We are killing them by letting them drown, and that goes against everything that Europe is. “
Alex, 31, Germany
”Many people have been travelling for over a year and have already crossed the Sahara. They hope that they will quickly find a home and work. That's what they hope for from Europe and risk their lives for. The society in which I want to live does not watch people die on the high seas, but gives everyone the same right to an intact and happy life.”
Leah, 33, Germany
”How insecure, and without prospects one's own life situation must be, that a person leaves his family, friends and everything behind, in order to make his way into danger and uncertainty. It is a mystery to me that the citizens of the EU want to protect themselves and their families, but at the same time they find it difficult to feel any empathy for people from other countries who want the same.”
Francesco, 38, USA/Italy
“A seventeen year old girl from Nigeria taught me more about human strength and resilience than perhaps anyone I have ever met. She spoke with me for hours about what it meant to leave her family. She spoke of all the difficulties and the violence that she endured during the many many months of her journey alone. Then, in the middle of her story full of tragedy - she stopped to comment on the beauty of the deep blue sea, that very place where she could have lost her life, and where many people do.”
Sonja, 27, Germany
“In such times, that reminding of horrors of the old days, it is more important than ever, that we all show a clear stance. Europe drowns people with its closed borders and cold-hearted ignorance. We will not stop saving those people. Those who forget the past and the fact that we are talking about people - like you and me - and are at the same time totally alright with themselves, knowingly let them die, even though helping out could be so easy. Those people scare me, and not those who will put their life at risk to find safety and protection.”
Stefan, 28, Germany
”What are the people of the EU afraid of? For me, there is no answer that justifies drowning in the Mediterranean. Our solidarity should not stop at any EU border.”
Martin, 31, Belgium
“Most people leaving Libya know that they might die on these boats, but they still prefer to take that risk to get the hell out of there. Over the last years the EU has pumped millions of euros into the country, and we clearly see now that their approach has not worked. It’s so ironical to see that you get sabotaged by them even if you base everything you do on the existing legal framework. These governments are directly responsible for the deaths at sea.”
Isis, 27, France
”In maritime schools, we are taught rescue techniques at sea, we are reminded of the content of maritime law, in particular the obligation to provide assistance to any person in distress, whatever their nationality. Today in the Mediterranean, cargo ships no longer divert their route for economic reasons, coastguards send people in distress back to war zones and NGO boats are blocked in European ports.”
Joe, 64, England
As a ship captain, it’s my duty under law to rescue anyone in distress at sea and to take them to a place of safety. The EU nations, by stopping us, are choosing to ignore the law and to ignore their responsibilities.
Sören, 32, Deutschland
“I am shocked that people relax in their prosperity while others are knowingly abandoned on the high seas. I wish that there was much more public outrage about the tragic conditions on the Mediterranean.”
Jon, 32, England'
“We used to operate alongside warships and Italian coast guard ships in the search and rescue zone. We should have been working together to try and open up the borders of other European countries instead of the Italian government fighting to shut down the NGOs, and leaving all the rescues to the European funded Libyan coastguard who are reckless and cause deaths by trying to push back boats at any cost.”
Johannes, 34, Germany
”Without a single accident, this ship has saved many thousands of people, that means we are ready to sail into the Sar-Zone. Since 2015, Sea-Watch is doing the job the EU needs to do.
After being detained in port in 2019, I finally embarked on a mission in 2022 as Sea Watch's media coordinator. Sailing miles to rescue people from the depths of their misery,
When returning home after mission, friends bombarded me with questions. How was it? Anger, hatred, sadness—my initial responses were emotions too overwhelming for mere words. Those we rescued from the Mediterranean carried tales of wars, unimaginable conditions, and desperate bids for escape. They spoke of the sinister promises made by seemingly trustworthy figures offering swift, affordable passages to Europe, an escape from their troubles. Little did they know, they were stepping into the abyss—human trafficking, torture, sexual violence, extortion, and sometimes death. The toll was not just emotional. Each journey exacted a price, paid not only in currency but in repeated sacrifices for their freedom. Vulnerable souls, fleeing conflict zones, found themselves ensnared in a criminal circular economy, a merciless carousel with no exits. We sailed a sea of trauma.
Despite the advice from my fellow crew members be careful with talking about traumatic experiences, Daniel from Ethiopia wanted to share his experience. His story reflected the collective struggles of many, where numerous individuals, like himself, fell prey to trafficking and were forced to scrape together substantial sums for a chance to board a cheap rubber boat the next day. Human trafficking, the world's largest business, unfolds in the raw, unscripted frames of this film.