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BASED ON A TRUE STORY
[muffled groaning]
[man] It all started with one tiny boat.
Can we just let people drown?
[indistinct shouting]
[man] Can we actually look away?
The thought flooded me.
I felt it deeply. It wouldn't go away.
It only got bigger.
It got stronger and stronger.
Till I couldn't break free from it.
[sighs]
We're facing 20 years in prison now.
["Disparate Youth" by Santigold playing]
SUMMER 2015
[excited chatter]
[upbeat electronic pop continues]
[laughing]
[laughs] Go, go, go, go! Yes!
-[exclaims] -Go!
[laughing]
[woman yelps, giggles]
[both panting]
[woman groans]
-[sighs, laughs] -[exhales]
[man] During the summer of 2015,
hundreds of thousands of refugees made their way to Germany and Europe.
-Take out the bottles? -Mm-hmm.
[man] They were fleeing from war and violence,
hoping for protection and a better future.
-[man 2] Good morning. -Morning.
-Wow, you look great. -You too.
[man] Despite great challenges and a whole bunch of unanswered questions,
a wave of compassion swept the country.
There was a true willingness to help.
-[boy] No! -Not a problem. It's all good.
-It happens. -[speaking Turkish] Sorry.
It's really not a problem.
♪ We know now we want more ♪
♪ Oh, ah ♪
-[indistinct chatter] -♪ Oh, ah ♪
♪ A life worth fighting for ♪
♪ So let them say we can't do better ♪
♪ Lay out the rules that we can't break ♪
♪ They wanna sit and watch you wither… ♪
-Hey there. -What's up?
I've got some food donations in here.
[man] The openheartedness didn't last.
European governments grew overwhelmed and decided to shut their borders.
For many refugees, the only option left
was to try and survive an escape across the Mediterranean.
There were no government rescue missions.
Only one private ship attempted to save people from drowning.
Hey. You want the ball?
♪ A life worth fighting for… ♪
[kids shouting]
[man] Even though it seemed completely impossible…
-[girl shouts] -[man groans]
[man] …I wanted to help.
[groans playfully, laughs] Ah, no! No!
[group exclaims]
-[woman] We saw that in one of my classes. -Two? Two more, Emil!
[woman] …where Europe ends, and no one cares what happens beyond that.
Until last year, there was a government-funded rescue mission.
The Mare Nostrum rescued over 150,000 refugees a year.
And it got canceled. So no more help.
No one goes out on rescue missions anymore.
But there's like 150 people in each of those rubber boats.
Or over 1,000 people in old wooden vessels.
There isn't a single life jacket.
If there's an incident, they all drown 'cause no one's there to help.
So I was thinking, there's got to be a way to get involved.
Like buy a rescue ship.
Buy an actual ship?
Yeah, I think it's possible. I've seen a ton for sale online.
But how are you actually gonna get it?
You've got nothing in the bank and no clue about boats.
Yeah, that's all true, but how about…
Okay.
I mean, all around the world, younger generations are coming together
and achieving tremendous things.
I say that we use that same energy to come up with a creative solution.
Know what I mean? We need to focus on things greater than ourselves.
If there's a way to save lives, we should do it.
Hello, Lukas Weiland here.
I saw your boat listed online and was wondering if I can see it.
I'm a private individual. I know. It's for a good cause.
I'm… looking for a boat to help migrants in the Mediterranean in distress.
We're still raising funds.
But I was also curious about what requirements we need
to meet with these kinds of boats?
Maybe you'd be able to help me with that?
Yeah, I… almost have all the funding secured, um…
We're getting really close.
Okay. Got it. I'll reach out again once I have all the money.
You said you wanted me to have a plan. I've got one.
-Thanks a lot. Lukas, it's wonderful. -Thank you.
Really, it's great. But in all honesty, when I said you should have a plan,
I never meant buying a ship.
So, isn't there some other project
between a job at a supermarket and… some fantasy?
Saving drowning people isn't exactly my idea of a fantasy.
Oh, come on. I didn't mean it like that.
I can tell you exactly what's gonna happen.
You'll dive right into this
with all of your passion, and that's great.
Thing is, you won't raise enough money.
After a year, the only thing you'll have to show for it is a gap in your resume.
Meanwhile, people like Kitty will work at human rights law firms
and really advance the cause.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna have to pass two state exams
before saving the world.
Of course, you'll get it done.
I just don't want to be used as a kind of counterexample
to criticize your son.
Point taken.
Okay. Forgive me.
The only thing I'm trying to say is I'm positive
that choosing a conventional path isn't automatically selfish.
I never said it was.
Okay, say you manage to pull it off and go down there, then what?
It won't change anything. The world's not gonna change.
The world must change.
That won't happen if no one does anything.
And how about what your dad thinks?
I don't know. Haven't spoken to him.
I'm just concerned is all. Hmm.
You gotta keep trying.
It's true. Yeah, there's a chance that your mother's right
and you may not get the results that you hoped for…
I doubt it though.
And anyway, you can't give up on it now.
You've really gotta try, 'cause you're convinced it's the right thing.
You can't just be all like, "Bad idea. Let's just forget about it,"
'cause it's too challenging or it won't look good on your resume.
And I'll be there for you. Yeah, I will help you as much as possible.
But I'm not dropping out of my studies.
My plan is to get a degree, and I won't back down.
-I would never ask you to do that. -I know that. [sighs]
I… I said it as a reminder to myself.
I just know I'll feel guilty for my choice.
"Jugend Rettet."
What's that?
"Youth Saves." Your project name.
[both laugh]
[energetic music playing]
Yeah, this is very impressive.
Great initiative.
-Hmm? -Mm-hmm.
That's not an easy feat. Takes a lot of courage.
I'm delighted to see our youth is starting to get involved in politics.
But this is a bank.
It is not a charity.
Yes, we are a charity, but we're not a bank.
As a member of parliament, I'm not a charity or a bank.
And frankly, we all agree that your project is a little too…
Naive.
I've gotta say, this is quite unrealistic.
Especially coming from someone as young as you.
But if you'd like, I'd be happy to put your name on our internship waitlist.
EVERY PERSON IN DISTRESS AT SEA DESERVES RESCUE
There are people dying out there
'cause they fled unbearable living conditions.
And when I say I want to help,
I'm told it's impossible, it's unrealistic, and naive.
What's actually naive is believing the problem will solve itself.
Great, thanks.
Can you do the minutes for the session?
-Yeah, sure. -And here, in case you're interested.
Thanks so much for the photocopies.
No prob. So you're getting the ship regardless?
I'll find a way to buy it and reach out for some more funding.
You've gotta shoot for the moon, am I right?
'Cause you'll still land someplace higher. Right? Yeah.
-Land anywhere. -[laughs]
-You got the tape? -Yeah.
[energetic music playing]
[Lukas] Every person in distress at sea deserves rescue.
Everyone deserves rescue.
Hey, we have an information session Saturday at four on sea rescues.
-Thank you. -Come by, yeah?
JUGEND RETTET INFO SESSION
-[girl] Oh, thanks. -[Lukas] Every person deserves rescue.
[Lukas] Hey there, we're organizing sea rescue efforts.
Feel free to drop by on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
We want to organize sea rescues. Check out our Facebook page.
-You'll find all the info there. -Cool.
Our first meeting's Saturday at 4:00.
Here, if you want to get involved.
[energetic music fades]
[reporter] Out at sea, in the Mediterranean,
hundreds of people are believed to have died
in one of the worst refugee tragedies.
A trawler with an estimated 700 refugees on board capsized last night,
between the Libyan coast and the Italian island of Lampedusa.
According to the UNHCR, only 28 refugees were rescued.
As a result, the Federal Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière,
is calling for a strategy within the European Union
to combat refugee smuggling gangs to stabilize the region.
[reporter 2] As far as we know, the boat capsized
most likely because the refugees rushed to the side of the vessel
the rescuers were arriving at.
There is simply a lack of ships everywhere to help rescue people.
Aid organizations estimate that in the first months of this current year,
nearly 1,600 people have perished,
trying to escape from Africa to get to Italy.
These figures are unprecedented.
[tense music playing]
SHIP
Hey, I'm hanging up your info to get an overview of where we're at.
Okay, timing-wise, it's already too late to plan a mission this year.
Our goal is to have a vessel in the Mediterranean by next summer,
am I right?
So, we've got six months left to secure a ship,
and we need to get people to help with PR, logistics, and hiring a crew.
We need financing.
HELPERS - MONEY - SHIP
I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I'm obsessed with all this.
Like, I lay awake.
Every day, I sit in seminars, and we keep talking
about how something has to be done.
And here you are, actually doing something about the crisis.
I feel like I'm just irrelevant. [sighs]
You all right?
Yeah, no, all good.
Uh, this is great.
-Great. -So, does that… mean you're in?
-Yeah. -[chuckles]
Yeah.
So, you take care of the ship, and I'll handle… logistics and stuff,
recruiting volunteers, and we'll handle financing together.
-Okay. -How much money do we need?
Um… so we need for the boat, fuel, food, accommodations,
medical supplies, life jackets, and all that.
I'd say 300,000 euros.
300,000?
[sighs] Yeah, 'cause ships go for 60,000 to 100,000.
[sighs]
So, any idea how we're gonna finance that?
Sorta. I thought about some crowd funding.
Charity… donations, and… a flea market.
-A flea market? -Yeah, we can sell clothes and stuff.
Mm-hmm.
[energetic music playing]
20-WEEK CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN:
GOAL: 300,000 EUROS
-May I? -Sure.
-Thanks a lot. Bye. -Every donation helps!
WEEK 1
-How much have we raised? -Uh… around 300?
Great, only 299,700 left.
-Hey! Hello. [giggles] -Oh, just that! Hey, Domi!
How's it going? [chuckles]
Guys, this is Dominique. She's gonna be in charge of our PR.
-[Kitty] Awesome. -Hey.
Here's a logo in another mock-up.
Okay, that one's real powerful.
-That's not it. -Why don't you like it?
'Cause the message is all wrong with the fist.
WEEK 4
[squeaks]
This one's my absolute favorite. It's Kitty's artwork.
Yeah, I think it's great.
[Domi chuckles]
WEEK 6
[chuckles] Go on, open 'em!
We were just trying to get some actors to post about us on their socials.
[woman] So we contacted the German Film Academy,
and they loved our idea.
They had an available office, and they offered it to us.
-Hey! So you're Lukas? -Hi. Yeah, that's me.
-Hi. I'm Katja. Pleased to meet you. -So nice to meet you.
Thanks. What you're doing is great. Bravo.
WEEK 8
[man on PA] Connections available to…
Nina? Lukas? Check this out. Finished it.
-[gasps] -Nice!
It came together well, didn't it?
[Domi] You're our hero! Hell yeah, we have a website!
-I'm Domi. Thanks for coming. -Hi, I'm Sam. I'm glad to be here.
-Happy you're here. I'm Domi. -Hey. Hi, I'm Paula. How are you doing?
[Katja on video] Jugend Rettet is committed to our moral
and legal obligation to rescue people from drowning.
In order to accomplish that, the team needs a ship.
So we're calling on you for donations.
The train ride took over ten hours to get here!
How can they not even show up?
[sighs deeply]
[Nina] We're gonna have to choose one soon.
Because if we don't target one,
we won't get to show our donors the ship we want, and crowdfunding will tank.
People need to know what they're encouraging.
-I know. -[Nina] Without any money, no ship.
And that's it for our project.
We can donate money and call it quits!
I get it, Nina, all right?
WEEK 18: 121,000 EUROS RAISED
-[chuckles] -How about loyalty points? [laughs]
-[Lukas] No! No! No way! -Yes! Yes! I knew you'd get it!
-God! I've got to get it. -This street!
-The bank is loving this. -How can I pay for it?
-Okay. It costs thousands! -Wait. What do I have? A hotel?
-It still costs… -I'm gonna need to get a mortgage on it.
-[phone vibrating] -Oh, just a sec.
-19,000. -Just a minute. Yes? Hello?
"Zoning change approved. Collect 50 dollars per property…"
I thought it wasn't available anymore.
Uh, no, no. We don't have a ship. We're still looking.
Yeah.
Okay, then. How about I call you from the office tomorrow?
Great, thanks a lot. Cheers.
We got one.
[exclaims, laughs]
Guess what?
I found us a ship.
-[gasps] You did? -Yeah. I saw it on one of my trips.
But it wasn't available.
But it turns out it is after all.
-[Nina] Okay. -Scooch! [grunts]
The Alk Explorer was a patrol boat in the North Sea.
So it doubles as a hospital, the engine's totally overhauled.
Plus, there's room for over 200 people on deck.
And I think the most crucial detail, what's great,
is it's got a lower entry point, so it's easier to get people on board.
Mm-hmm. And what's the catch?
Uh, it costs 150,000.
-Yeah, great. -[Mauro sighs]
The deadline for our crowdfunding is two weeks from now.
We don't have a ship quite yet. Unfortunately, we can't afford it.
As it stands, we're gonna miss our campaign goal, sadly.
By quite a lot. Almost half.
Anyone have other ideas?
Well, all hope's not gone yet.
It seems two parties are still considering larger donations.
Um, one of them… is a start-up for e-cigarettes. Drag & Joy.
They're thinking of giving an extra 20,000
provided that we print their slogan on the life jackets.
What exactly is their slogan?
"A new source of pleasure."
[chuckles]
[Nina] So 100 people will be sitting in a dinghy
with life jackets that say, "A new source of pleasure."
-[chuckles] -Holy moly…
And what is the second option?
Um, it's a married couple with a private foundation.
[indistinct chatter]
-Here? -[Nina] Yes.
[woman] We only promote non-profit projects run by people
who are truly committed to actively and democratically participating
in shaping their living environments.
In that sense, Jugend Rettet really caught our attention.
That's why we asked you to come here.
We'd like to hear more about how you wish to do this.
-[sighs] -Go ahead.
-Well, in the package we prepared-- -Who can tell me about the numbers?
I can answer Oh, go on.
And what are your majors?
-Uh, social and economic communication. -[sighs] International relations.
And I'm still finding my way, sir.
Have you got anyone with actual experience in the field working with you?
Currently, no, but we're busy looking.
Do you have anyone with a financial background to manage funds?
We're in the process of that.
-[man] A lawyer? -We have a team.
Or someone who's done more than just start an undergrad degree,
or is everyone just… "finding their way"?
You're absolutely right. We're not professionals.
Nobody on our team has a degree yet.
We're all just getting started.
But I assure you that we are serious.
We'll make up for our innocence with passion.
That's exactly why we're looking for experienced people like you
who share our commitment to humanity.
So, nobody.
[Domi sighs]
We need a plan B.
How about we downsize a little?
Get a smaller ship, postpone the start date, and do fewer missions.
There's a smaller ship we could look into…
The Passat.
I'm familiar with it. I went to check it out.
Yeah? That's great.
At least you know… the ship. [sighs]
[Lukas] Shit.
[cell phone ringing]
Yeah?
Uh, okay.
Mm-hmm.
Yes, great. Very well.
Lukas!
[knocking on door]
Okay.
[line ringing]
[woman on phone] Hello?
-Mrs. Gans? Hello, we're all here. -Good.
Uh, we took a closer look at the budget, and we think it's quite reasonable.
-Ask her about the office. The office. -Right.
The thing is, we noticed a few items were missing from your calculations.
For example, how much your office costs.
It's sponsored by the German Film Academy.
Aha, okay.
And the cost of the shipyard for prepping the ship?
The owner of the shipyard has waived the costs.
He wants to give back. Plus, it's an easy tax write-off.
Good. Accommodations in Malta?
Uh, we'll use an old lighthouse.
Let me guess, it's also been sponsored?
-Correct. Yes. -Yeah.
I have to say, though, that we do have concerns on our end
about the expertise in your project
and about the structure of the organization.
We're also wondering how you'll finance missions in the long-term.
We'll buy your ship, though.
-What? -Yeah.
My husband and I have agreed to buy the ship for you.
-[group exclaims] -[gasps] Yes! Yes!
-Have a nice evening. -You too. Thanks so much.
[all exclaim]
[reporter] As an individual, one is powerless
and cannot change the world.
Well, a few students here in Berlin make a point against that worldview.
In the factory hall in the port of Emden lies a ship,
bought by the Jugend Rettet organization, a group of young people
who stand by their convictions and want to venture into the Mediterranean
in just four weeks to rescue refugees in distress at sea.
They've been renovating the ship themselves
for the past two months
and their profound commitment has been pulling at the heartstrings of the nation.
[man] Okay.
We saw on Facebook that an awesome group of young people were having issues
with the electrical stuff, so we're helping out
It's for a good cause.
[reporter] And after all that hard work,
the Iuventa is finally ready to set off for Malta.
Today's a big day for the mission.
[together] We hereby christen you Iuventa.
-Jugend! -Jugend! Jugend!
[crowd cheers]
MALTA, JULY 2016
[man] All right. Watch your heads.
Hey, watch your head.
All right, slow down. Down there.
Hey, um… I'm Maik.
Uh, I just finished high school. And, uh, I'm glad I got my diploma.
But I guess that what matters more to me than pursuing my studies
is saving people's lives.
That's why it's really such a massive honor
to be here with you.
Plus, you're all really cool. Thank you.
-Next one! -[grunts]
[Paula] Hi. My name's Paula.
I read on Facebook that you're looking for someone who's fluent in Arabic.
Well, I'm studying it, and I think we need to be the change.
Action is hope, right?
[man] Good. Hey, I'm Sören, the head of mission on board.
Gotta say, it feels a bit strange that I'm the oldest one here.
Before you contacted me,
I was working on the Sea-Watch and before that, on the Lesbos.
I hope I can be of service to you with my experience.
I'm Viola, the captain.
And, um, I was with Sören on the Sea-Watch.
My main source of income has been pushing a 5,000-ton walker over the sea.
I'm first officer on a seniors' cruise ship.
The thing is, I believe we can't just wish for a just world and talk about it.
You have to want to put those words into action.
-[woman] Hey! -Oh! Hey!
-Ah, Su! -Hey, sorry I'm late.
We're just doing the introduction round. It's perfect timing.
-Shoot! -Oh, okay. Uh…
Cool. Uh, so, I'm Su.
I, uh, sorry I missed some introductions.
Looking forward to getting to know you all.
Next year, I'm starting a residency as an orthopedist.
And meanwhile, I will serve as an onboard doctor on the Iuventa.
[hopeful music rises]
Bye! Take care of yourselves!
[Nina] You've got this!
-Well, at least the engine's working. -Yeah.
It's ancient, but on the flip side, it was free.
[laughs]
FIRST MISSION 2016 JULY 24
DAY 1: 198 NAUTICAL MILES OFF LIBYA
The sooner we start compression and ventilation, the better the outcome.
And you have to keep going until he opens his eyes.
Okay? So you press and you give him ventilation.
-Yeah. -Okay.
All right. One, two, three. One, two…
-[coughing] -You're pressing on his stomach.
-Oh… -So glad I didn't have breakfast.
[group laughs]
And you also have to remove his T-shirt first.
-Yeah, right. I, uh… Like this, right? -Yup.
-[sighs] Okay. [chuckles] -[softly] 'Kay.
-One, two, three, four, five-- -From 20, please.
Uh… 27, 28, 29, 30. Go!
[chuckles]
-Come here, come here. -[group chuckles]
-[coughing] -[group laughs]
Come on, it wasn't that bad!
[bright music playing]
So you see, you've also got compasses in there, for bearings.
Notice anything off? Quickly tell the bridge.
Lukas, how many degrees there?
[Lukas] Uh… 85.
That's correct. Then you say, "Boat at 85 degrees,"
while you point your hand towards it, yeah?
You have to keep your finger directly on it from that point forward, okay?
-[man] Understood. -Yeah?
And what are rescue missions like for you?
It's never the same, actually. It's always different.
But, I mean, they must affect you, right?
I'm definitely not more optimistic, to put it optimistically, I guess.
Yeah, it gets to absolutely everyone.
You're not the same person after.
[bright music building]
[Sören] Let's go down first.
Now, up. Up, up, up!
Yeah, that's good. Always keep it nice and taut, like this.
Always keep that rope taut, or you're gonna end up overboard.
You'll fly right off. You'll go swimming. Okay, please stop.
All right. Try to save me now.
Help! Help!
Help!
Help, help!
Help! Help!
[Lukas gasping]
Okay, okay. Never do what Lukas just did.
Always go against your instincts.
Throw a life jacket in the water so the person can cling to it, understood?
[group] Yes.
Tomorrow we'll get to the 24-mile zone off Libya.
This is it, guys.
We could encounter rubber dinghies transporting refugees at any time.
Passengers are usually traumatized
'cause they've been sitting there for days,
fighting for their lives every single minute.
Please know that there isn't a single usual behavior to expect.
Absolutely.
When there's a rubber dinghy,
engine fishermen are usually lurking and waiting in the area.
They get the engines back. Soon as they get the chance,
they dismantle them and take off with them.
If we do cross paths with them, just focus on the rescue.
We get everyone off, we try to destroy the dinghy,
but not if it puts our safety, or the people we're rescuing, at risk.
[Sören] Moving on. This is the so-called Libyan coast guard.
They're… actually Libyan militia.
And they're mostly young guys
who've just fought in the civil war and organize the escape boats.
Armed, as you can see.
They're aggressive and up for a fight.
These guys are dangerous.
Be super careful.
[Lukas] Hey. I'm doing night watch tonight.
It's so crazy. The sea's totally calm.
It's pitch black.
What are you up to?
[Kitty] I've gotta work today. How are you guys?
[Lukas] Pretty good.
When we were starting all this in Berlin, then renovating the ship,
everything seemed so clear.
We didn't question anything.
But out here, it feels completely different.
Suddenly it all seems so real.
We're really scared… of messing up, you know?
[Kitty] I totally get that.
But you can count on each other.
Together is always better.
[Lukas] I miss you.
[Kitty] I miss you too. A lot.
FIRST MISSION 2016, 26 JULY, 5:23 A.M. 18 NAUTICAL MILES OFF THE COAST OF LIBYA
[gasps] Bridge to lookout.
[Viola] Lookout to Bridge, receiving.
I see a boat, ten o'clock.
[suspenseful music rises]
Lukas, we're on. Let's go.
Let's go. Good morning MRCC, this is motor vessel Iuventa.
I'm in position 33 degrees, 22.2 minutes north
and 012 degrees, 21. 8 minutes east.
I've spotted a boat in distress, three miles south of our position.
Pull it up. Up, up, up, up.
Now we go out.
Out, out, out, out.
Slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly.
-Okay. -There they are. Call it in.
Iuventa, Iuventa, Iuventa, RHIB.
Iuventa, RHIB, Iuventa.
Got a visual of the boat, likely a rubber dinghy.
Head count is unclear. We're approaching.
Copy, standing by.
Slow down.
[passengers calling out]
Hello!
We are from a European rescue vessel.
Hello!
We're here to help you.
You're safe now.
Calm down, you're safe now.
We've come to help you.
Is every… Is everything good? Are you good?
Is… is everyone all right?
We'll come to you, okay?
-Do you speak English? -Yes.
-What's your name? -Lamin.
[Lukas] Lamin? My name is Lukas.
That's Mauro and that's Wanda. We're gonna do this together now.
-Okay? -Yes.
-Is anyone injured? -No.
How many women and children are on board?
Six women and one baby.
-Six women and one baby. -There are six women and a baby on board.
These are life vests.
You put them over your head,
then strap around and make them really tight. Okay?
We're gonna start handing them out now.
-Okay? -There you go.
-Wait, wait, wait! -No, wait!
-No fighting, please! -[clamoring]
We've got enough for everyone! No fighting, please!
-Let's pass them on to the back. -Wait, stop!
Please, pass them on to the back. Hand them down, please.
Hand them down. Hand them down, Lamin.
-Pass them to the back! -No fighting!
-[Lukas] There's enough for everyone. -[shouting]
[Lukas] Please hand them down, hand them down.
[clamoring]
[Sören] Okay? Welcome on board.
[Su] Hi, welcome on board. Be careful, be careful!
-[Sören] Welcome. You're doing good. -[Su] Watch your step.
Okay, slowly, slowly. Nice.
[clamoring]
Welcome, welcome.
-Hi, I'll help you. -Okay, slowly, slowly.
Are you okay? I'm the doctor, okay? You can tell me whatever you need.
[excited chatter]
Very good. Well done, everyone. Well done.
One by one.
-Very good. -Wait, wait, there's a baby.
-What's your name? -Rose.
Rose, my name is Mauro. And what's your baby's name?
Pride.
Okay so, Rose, I'll take Pride only for one minute, okay?
It's too dangerous for you to climb on the vessel with him.
Trust me, I'll take care of Pride.
-Okay. -Okay?
Okay.
[Lukas] I'll help you, okay?
[Lukas] The mother, and then we'll continue, all right?
Your turn, okay?
I'll help you over. Come on.
Okay. She's really worried.
I'm gonna take your baby for a few seconds, okay?
[Lukas] Wait, one second. We need to wait for the baby to be safe.
Just wait for a second.
You're safe. Everything's fine.
There you go, I got you. I got you.
-You can do it. Almost. -We want to help.
Everything's fine. You're safe now, all right?
[passengers chanting]
[melancholic music playing]
-Paula. -Yeah?
There's a boat.
Sören from Maik.
[Sören] Yes?
Yeah, we see a boat coming. I think they're engine fishermen.
Okay, don't take unnecessary risks. Come back, please.
Okay, copy.
-Ready? -Yeah.
-Okay, let's go. -Whoa.
[fisher shouts]
[Maik] Engine's gone! We sank it! Nothing to take here!
[fishermen shouting]
-[Sören] You all right? -[Maik] Everything's fine.
-On our way. -[Sören] Okay, great.
[Su] You have a little wound here caused by the fuel of the boat.
So I'm gonna clean it, disinfect it, and put a bandage on it, okay?
It might hurt a little bit.
Hey.
-Thank you. -[Su] Where are you from?
Nigeria. I'm from Nigeria.
From small village.
-Sorry. -In the northeast.
How old are you?
Eighteen.
[Mauro] And how old is he?
Six months. And three days.
[Su] Mm.
And why did you… I mean, why did you leave Nigeria?
I was living in my village when Boko Haram came.
They are killing people.
They come to the fields where we work and rape the women and kill the men.
So I was running from my village to the city.
But I had no house.
So it was not easy there.
What was the situation on the boat?
[Rose] Very scary.
We were so many. We were squeezed.
People are vomiting. It was my first time at sea.
You can't swim?
No. Many of us cannot swim.
It is just life or death.
-And the sea is so big. -Yeah.
So, so big.
And I was scared.
And Pride cried. And I just wanted him to live.
You know, it's all I could think of.
[sighs sadly]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[Lukas] Okay, everyone. Can I have your attention for a moment?
There's a small boat approaching on that side
that will take you to a much bigger boat from the Italian coast guard.
They will take care of you, bring you to safety, and to Italy.
Because we only rescue, but they will bring you to Europe, okay?
Thank you.
-Thank you for your help on the boat. -You're welcome.
-Thank you for your help. -[chuckles]
It was my first, uh, time, you know?
You did a great job.
[Lukas chuckles] We all did, we all did.
How long have you been traveling?
I traveled for three years.
And… why did you leave?
My father is very ill.
He lost his job, and we have no money for food.
No money for medicine.
You know, I wanted to be educated.
I wanted to be a very educated man.
That's my plan.
I am praying to God that it will happen.
And you traveled all by yourself?
No, I traveled with a friend.
And… is he here now?
He's dead.
We worked in a gold mine in Burkina Faso.
It was very hot. Fifty degrees.
Many people died.
But you have a good job here on board.
-[Lukas chuckles] -You do good. You travel. You get paid.
No, no, we're not getting paid.
-You don't get paid? -No.
Oh. Then it's a… it's a shitty job.
[laughs]
Yeah, I guess it's a shitty job, then.
-Only joking. -[chuckles]
You saved our lives.
It's a good job.
[Lukas] One big step.
-[man] Yes, that's it. -Thank you.
-[Lukas] Goodbye, man. -Thank you.
[hopeful music playing]
-Can you please hold Pride for me? -Of course.
-I'll help you over, okay? -[Rose] Thank you.
Well done.
Be careful with his head. Careful.
-[Lukas] Take care. -Goodbye.
-Goodbye, Lukas.
-Lukas. -[Lukas] Yes?
Please have this.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Lukas.
Now you are my friend.
-Take care. -Bye, Lukas.
[sniffles]
[cheering]
[all exclaim]
[screams]
[group exclaims]
[cheering]
-Whoo! -This is great.
[music fades]
[guitar strumming]
Today on the boat…
that moment I held Rose's baby… Pride.
[chuckles] It's like the weight of the world was on me.
You know?
It's the first time in my life I held a baby. What a feeling.
I was constantly telling myself,
"Do not drop it, Mauro."
"Protect Pride with your life."
"You'll never do anything more important than this."
FIRST MISSION 2016 JULY 29, DAY 06
30 NAUTICAL MILES OFF LIBYA
If you want to say something like, "My name's Paula" or "I'm Lukas or Maik,"
then you say, "Ana Paula."
-Ana… -Ana Lukas.
Ana Mauro.
-Ana Maik. -"Ana Maik," yeah.
[grunts] Welcome.
[passengers clamoring]
Welcome.
I'm Marietta.
-Marietta? -Yes.
-That's a beautiful name. -Thank you.
Nice to meet you. Hey, I'm Sören.
Boat at 135 degrees!
[Sören] We see the boat. Straight ahead, two o'clock.
[passengers chanting]
[woman] I'm born in Eritrea.
But I had to leave after… my family was killed by government.
But in Sudan, they say I have to marry a very old man.
Very older than me.
So… I decide to flee again.
[cheering]
Look! Dolphins!
-[Mauro] No way! -[Lukas] Yes!
-No! -Yeah!
-[all laugh] -[Mauro] God damn!
[man on radio] Good morning, Iuventa.
We have the first sighting of the day.
It is a blue wooden boat.
You can go on the longitude. I'm waiting for… waiting for my orders.
We'll proceed with the rescue.
-[man] Perfect. Thank you. -Thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
-One, two, three. -I'm done.
[gasps] Mwah. I love you.
-[group laughing] -That one looks like Mauro!
You all right? Stay safe.
-Bye, all the best. -Bye, all the best, all right? Okay?
[excited chatter]
[music fades]
[shouting]
Pass the woman over to us, okay?
[loud clamoring]
-Okay, carefully, carefully. -[man] No, Fatima!
Careful, please.
[man] Fatima!
[screaming]
Okay, go back, go back!
No, no, go back. Go back, please.
Go back. Please stay calm. Everybody, stay calm.
You've got your life vests. Hold on to them, okay?
Hold on to them and go back to the boat.
Please, stay calm, okay? The life vests help you.
You're safe, but you have to go back.
[clamoring]
Okay.
Contact!
What's her name?
Fatima, Fatima!
Fatima.
-We cannot take you. Sorry-- -No, I have to stay with her!
We're gonna take her to a bigger ship and then to a doctor, okay?
-I'm her brother! -We're gonna come back. I promise.
No!
-[shouting] -No!
[Mauro] Iuventa, RHIB.
We have two people on board,
one unconscious, and we've started resuscitation.
Roger that. We'll prepare everything. I'll give Su a heads-up.
Hang in there.
[Lukas] 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
-Go. -One, two, three…
[Lukas panting]
…26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
[grunts]
-She's not breathing. It's not working! -Wait!
It's not working!
Go, go, go, go, go!
[tense music playing]
[Su] One, two, three, four, five…
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty…
25, 26, 27, 8, 9, 10. Go!
Do one more.
[sighs]
[Lukas panting]
Lukas.
-[softly] Five. -It's over.
-Ten. -Hey. Lukas.
Fifteen.
-Hey, Lukas. -Twenty.
-[Su] Lukas. Lukas? -Twenty-five.
Lukas? Lukas, please, Lukas.
-Thirty. -[Su] Hey, hey…
-Lukas, it's not helping. -[Su] Lukas! Lukas.
It's over. Okay?
She's dead.
[panting]
She's dead.
[music fades]
You couldn't have saved her, Lukas.
It doesn't make it less painful, I know, but you couldn't have saved her.
She was already gone when you brought her on the boat.
You know that, right?
Hey.
It's really important that you know that.
END OF THE FIRST MISSION BERLIN, 16 AUGUST 2016
CREW CHANGE ON THE IUVENTA
-[Nina] Hi. -[Kitty] You're back! [chuckles]
-Oh my gosh! -[Mauro] Good to see you!
[Kitty] It's so good to see you!
[Lukas] It feels so absurd
that the weather's always so beautiful down there.
The sun shines so bright. The sea's totally calm.
At night it's completely quiet.
And you just sit there, knowing
the rubber dinghies are going out to sea at that moment.
The people we meet have often gone through an odyssey
that's lasted for years.
They come to us on the Iuventa.
And they kiss the deck.
They lift their arms to the sky.
They're just so delighted.
-They're thrilled they're finally safe. -Mm.
But we know it's far from over for them at that point.
You can't tell them, though. It's not the time to.
[distant shouting]
[clamoring grows louder]
[water rushing]
[Lukas] We are from Europe.
We're here to help you. You're safe now!
Is everyone all right?
-No, wait! No fighting! -[Lamin] Wait!
[Lukas] We've got enough for everyone. No fighting, please!
Go back, go back! What's her name?
[brother] No, Fatima!
-Fatima! -[woman] Please, please.
-[Lukas] Go! -[man] Lukas!
[Lukas] Go! Go!
-[brother] Where are you taking her? -[Lukas] We cannot, we cannot take you!
-[brother] I'm her brother! -[Lukas] We're gonna come back, promise!
-[Su] She's dead. -[brother] No!
[silence falls]
[gasps]
[breathing shakily]
[sighs]
[gentle music playing]
I'm here with Lukas, Nina, Domi, and Mauro from Jugend Rettet.
I really want us to go over how people can get involved with the cause.
But before we do, I'd like us to find out
what our listeners' thoughts are on what you're doing.
Isn't it normal to save these poor folks?
Should we be ashamed of questioning that?
Joining us on the phone, I have Christian from Schöneberg.
[Christian] Yeah, hi! Um…
Let me start by saying that I really appreciate you all helping.
The thing that I'm not getting
is why aren't you taking these people back to Africa?
-Why do they all end up in Europe? -You take it.
Well, according to the Geneva Refugee Convention,
we're not allowed to return anyone to an unsafe country.
Libya is an unsafe country, and we would've gone
against the law had we done so.
Honestly, it's not just that it's against the law.
They would get thrown into prison,
tortured, and would possibly die if we took them back.
[Christian] All right, but why not take them to some other African country
where they'd be safe?
I just don't understand why they all have to come here.
'Cause Germany offers the right to asylum, Christian.
[Christian] Yeah, but that doesn't make it okay to take everyone in.
Our problems won't get any better if we take in more migrants.
-Tell me, Christian? -Yes?
What scares you exactly?
Not feeling comfortable in my country,
letting criminals in, and my children not being safe.
I'm afraid we won't be able to handle the added pressure as a country.
I mean, I think it's great and all that you're helping people
in the Mediterranean, but you're certainly not helping people in Germany.
That's what I think. Nice talking to you.
-Christian-- -Bye.
-[call disconnects] -[Domi sighs]
THIRD MISSION 2016, 29 SEPTEMBER, DAY 09 INTERNATIONAL WATERS OFF LIBYA
[Maik] Okay, so we should all be at 65 degrees now.
-Yeah? -[Paula] Yes.
[Maik] 65 degrees is the bearing you would give to the bridge.
-Okay? -Yeah.
[strumming gentle tune]
[gasps softly]
Sören, can you please come to the bridge?
Hang on. Wait. I'll call you back, all right?
[tense music playing]
Yeah?
Yeah, a speedboat is approaching us. Way too fast from the south.
No idea who it is. They're not answering.
-Uh, are they militia? -[Sören] Maybe. We don't know.
We've begun the lockdown procedure.
Su is escorting everyone to the engine room.
I'm going on deck now.
De-escalation. You mind staying on the line?
Of course, yeah.
[Su] We do it the way we trained. We stay in the engine room and wait.
We won't risk anything.
Come on, go.
[Sören] Engine room.
[ominous music rises]
Shit, Viola. They look armed.
All stations, all stations, all stations.
This is Iuventa, Iuventa, Iuventa.
I am 15 miles northwest from Tripoli.
I have a pirate attack. I repeat, I have a pirate attack.
I need urgent help.
-Slow down! -[man shouting]
-Hey, slow down! -[shouting]
-[gunfire] -[grunts]
Hey, no shooting! No! No shooting.
Please, no shooting.
We do search and rescue.
We have… We don't have a problem.
-[gasps] -[gunfire on radio]
[Sören] Please. We do search and rescue. We're… We're friendly.
We have no problem here. Everything is fine here.
-What do you want? -Yes.
[speaking Arabic]
-Everything is fine. -Where is crew?
-[man speaking Arabic] -Everything is fine.
Hey! Come on, stop. Come on, stop!
-[speaking Arabic] -What do you want?
[Su] Come on, come down. We're staying here, okay?
Watch your head. Be careful.
The engine is really hot.
[hatch opens]
Where are the others?
[nearby shouting]
-Hey, why are you doing this? -[speaking Arabic]
There's no one here, okay?
-[Su] It's all right, okay? -[gasps]
[shouting above]
[Sören] Please don't. Stop. Hey! Hey!
Please, please be calm. Please be calm.
[shouting in Arabic]
[man 1] Crew.
Crew. Where's crew?
[shouting continues above]
-[man 2 speaking Arabic] -Okay. My name is Su.
My name is Su.
I'm the doctor on this vessel. Please! I'm the doctor, leave them!
[man 2 shouting]
Iuventa, Iuventa, Iuventa. Armed groups are boarding our ship.
[speaks Arabic]
We are a search and rescue organization. We're here to save people at sea.
-Viola? -[Sören] We're peaceful. We help people.
-Sören? -[man shouting in Arabic]
-Hey! We are a rescue mission. -Walk! Walk!
-[Viola] Hey! -Move.
-Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. -Stand aside!
Passports. Give me passports.
This is national water.
This is international waters. You can't just board my ship like this.
-We did nothing wrong. -No!
-This is Libyan country. No rescue here. -This is international waters!
As long as I see Libyan mountains, this is my water.
Next time we see you, we arrest you. And we'll bring you to jail.
Next time we see you in our water, we sink this ship.
You understand?
[exhales shakily] Understood.
[music ends]
[boat engine retreating]
[Sören] So, I talked to the crew.
We took a vote, and we would all like to continue.
I hear you, but this is not your decision alone.
We can't risk a situation like this happening.
I mean, they were armed.
Lukas, we're aware of that. We were here.
We just think you should take a break for a couple of weeks, that's all.
And we'll do a new danger assessment and adjust.
What about those people in Libya getting on boats tonight?
-I bet they want a break. -Drop the attitude, Viola.
We were down there too.
You're not the only one who knows how bad it is.
If we stay on mission, it'll send the right message.
That they can't intimidate us. Or else, they've won.
You understand me?
It's your choice.
Okay. We'll go back to Malta,
take a break, and prepare for the next mission.
-[sighs] -Okay.
We'll have to go with that.
Yup.
[Viola] So that's the signal you want to send?
At least you're not in danger.
[sighs]
[Kitty] That's Chimamanda Ngozi's
whole point in "The Danger of a Single Story."
If you pigeonhole certain people into a category, say poor, uneducated,
or powerless, and you reinforce it… you know, by saying it over and over,
you start seeing it as fact.
The thing is… storytelling has the power to influence our views on people.
I've got another example, 'kay?
Take the history of America.
Instead of focusing on Christopher Columbus,
we talk about Native Americans, the story's totally different.
You there?
[cell phone vibrating]
[Lamin on phone] Lukas!
-My friend! -[Lukas] Lamin!
How… How are you?
Uh, sorry. Uh… I… I've gotta take this. Wait.
Lamin!
Oh, the… the connection is really bad. Should we switch to audio?
-[Lamin] Yes, yes. [laughs] -Yeah.
How… How did you find me?
You are on Facebook.
Oh, right. [chuckles]
But, uh… how are you? Where are you now?
[in German] I'm in Konstanz.
[in English] What?
[in German] I'm in Konstanz.
-[in English] No way, you're not. -Yes!
[laughs]
How did you get all the way there?
In Italy, they put me in place for minors.
In Salerno, in small village.
So, I asked if there is a possibility for me to go to school.
You know, that was in my mind. To be educated.
But they told me, it's a small village, they don't have a school.
So, I got information in Germany that you can go to school.
So, my plan is, "only Germany."
I don't go anywhere, only Germany. I'm going.
-So you just went to Germany? -Yes!
Really? But how?
I go on train.
And sometimes, they said I have to leave train
because I have no ticket.
And one moment, I decided to walk.
You walked to Germany?
Yeah! Yeah!
I walked and walked. And one moment, I saw, you know,
I saw cars with the D, the D sticker.
Police came. I asked, "Am I in Germany?"
And they were really friendly and said, "Yes, you are in Germany."
Incredible.
That's so incredible.
I called my mother, and she cried because she thought I am dead.
But now, they are really happy.
Really happy.
And you, my friend?
How are you? You still have this shitty job?
[laughs] Uh, yeah. I still have the shitty job.
Um, but it's okay. [chuckles]
I am just joking, my friend. You know?
No, I know. [chuckles]
I know. I know.
Hey, you still have the bracelet?
Yeah. Yes, yeah.
I have it with me all the time. I wear it every day.
It is so good to hear you.
Ah, Lamin, it… it's so good to hear your voice.
Really. I mean it. It's so good to hear you.
-[Lukas] Hey. -Hey.
Where's Kitty?
She's taking some time.
[sighs]
It's hard for you guys?
[Lukas] Mm-hmm.
I guess we're just in two different worlds these days.
You all right?
[sighs] Yeah, kind of exhausted.
It's like I thought that having this ship meant our problems would be solved.
[scoffs] Yeah.
-Is Mauro sleeping? -Yeah.
Or at least he's trying. He's not doing too good.
Were you aware that he'd hide in the engine room to cry every day?
But he was looking forward to the next mission.
And I thought it might be good for him.
It's like he can't move on.
[somber music playing]
That's too bad, your donation would have been a great help.
Domi. Please include these expenses, thanks.
Um, but did you know you can get a tax write-off for donations?
"You wanna destroy the continent." "Where are they all gonna live?"
"Has that even crossed your minds?"
[Nina] The mission is in two weeks,
but we don't have a first officer or someone to drive the RHIB.
We also need someone for the sick bay. Su needs a break.
"It's human trafficking and you should all get what you deserve."
"You should do time."
"Traffickers without borders should die at sea."
-It's locked. I can't get in. -What is it?
We got hacked. The website, social media, all of it.
-Do we know who it was? -Some right-wingers! Who else?!
Fuck! Shit! Dammit!
"I saw you on TV."
"This plan you're so proud of is a really shitty idea."
"Seriously, where are they supposed to go?"
"What about our jobs and women?"
What is that? Who went to Hamburg?
Why is there a receipt from fucking Hamburg?
Found this under the sink.
"Fuck you and your Islamization of the West."
"Germany's for Germans, and that's it."
Lukas.
The Italian Coast Guard ordered the Iuventa to the Port of Lampedusa.
-With only five refugees on board. -Wait.
What? That doesn't make any sense.
-Viola, I've got you on speaker. -[Viola] Yeah.
We've got five minors on board,
and there are four or five rubber dinghies out there,
transporting like 500 people.
We can't assist them if we leave now.
-Can't you transfer passengers? -[Sören] Yeah, no, we've tried.
The Italians said it was out of the question without a reason.
We have to head to Lampedusa. Their tone is raising in their emails.
They're all, "Follow the orders!" You know?
-Right. Where are you right now? -[Viola] A whole day away from Lampedusa.
We'll lose two days getting there and back.
So we're not doing it.
No way. We always have to cooperate with the authorities.
-It's the law. -Nina.
We have to rescue those people. That's why we're here.
-Because lives come first. -What are you trying to say?
I'm saying we're disregarding the order. We're staying put.
You can't. No. If you don't comply, we will not stand by you.
You will have stayed against our explicit orders,
and we will cancel all future missions.
We cooperate. It's the Jugend Rettet core tenet.
-[Sören] Are you serious right now? -[both] Yeah.
[Viola sighs deeply]
[radio beeps]
-Hey. -[gentle music playing]
[Kitty sighs]
[doorbell ringing]
[ringing continues]
Yeah?
[footsteps approaching]
-[man] Hello? -Hello?
Refugees. We heard we can live here.
-Open door, come on! -What?
-[knocking] -[man 2] Open door, open door!
-Come on, let us in! Hey! -We're hungry, hey!
-It's a gang of fascists. -What?
-[pounding on door] -Don't open the door!
-Hey, are you nuts? -Leave right now!
-Who is that? -A bunch of fascists.
Why the fuck are you here?!
-Should we call the cops? -Yeah! Go call the cops.
Listen, we're calling the police now. What the fuck is your problem?!
-Get out of here! Fuck off, guys! -That's enough!
[Kitty] Yes, hi. We've got a bunch of guys banging at our door
and yelling at us to let them in.
-[tense music playing] -[clicks tongue]
-[Nina] Please come quick. -[guys shouting outside]
We're calling the police, so go on and fuck off!
-[Nina] They're still banging. -[Lukas] Just get out of here!
-Yeah, okay, thanks. Okay. -[Lukas] Come on, fuck off already!
[breathing shakily]
[Kitty] Get lost!
-I'll handle this. -They're not leaving!
-[Kitty] Get lost! -Oh!
[Kitty] Fuck off! Now!
-[guys laugh] -[panting]
[Mauro hyperventilating]
Mauro, are you all right?
-Are you okay? Can you hear? -I can't breathe.
[Nina] Okay, exhale.
-Inhale slowly. You're safe. -[Kitty] Okay.
-[Lukas] Hey. -It's fine. They're gone.
-[Mauro] I can't breathe. -[exhales deeply] Exhale slowly.
You're safe.
[Lukas] It's all good.
[exhales deeply]
They're gone now. It's okay.
[Mauro sighs]
[Lukas] We stop missions in the winter.
The refugees don't cross in dinghies.
The sea gets really dicey. The weather's too bad.
We're using the downtime to tune up the ship.
And in January, we're organizing a big meeting
to go over everything that happened during our first year at sea.
The good stuff and the challenges.
-[mom] Hm. Mm. -[dad] Mm-hmm.
-[Lukas] What? -Nothing.
-What is it? -[mom] Nothing.
Well, I didn't want to bring this up tonight.
I'm just concerned.
You've been doing this two years.
You said you'd give it one.
Mm-hmm. So?
So, Kitty's almost done with her program. You haven't even started a degree.
You think I should mention it down there? I could tell the refugees,
"Sorry! I gotta move on now. My mother thinks this isn't honorable."
-That's not what I meant. -What did you mean?
I am only saying that nearly two years have gone by,
and I haven't heard from you in six months.
So I am worried.
-You can't go on like this. -Trust me. I wish I could just stop!
I'd be thrilled to move on with my life.
I wish no one needed rescuing anymore or someone else would do it.
But no one steps in.
Governments aren't offering to take over. They're not helping!
You're not either.
You believe giving 500 euros at Christmas is enough support.
We won't stop till it changes.
[quietly] Good.
[indistinct chatter]
[Viola] What I don't understand is… are there charges against us?
Why do you need to search our ship?
No. No, it's just routine.
[Sören] It's not routine.
And for five minors, you don't have to search our ship.
It doesn't make any sense! Look, our papers are in order.
Everything is fine. I really don't get the point.
[officer] These are routines. Don't worry.
[Sören] There are people out at sea. They need our help.
Otherwise, they're going to die while we have this discussion here.
So that's what complying with the authorities looks like.
You get pulled from your mission, and the ship gets searched.
[Sören] They interviewed us all night and let us go back the next morning.
We lost two whole days because of it.
We had to go there because we had five minors on board.
There were hundreds of people still out there on rubber dinghies.
We don't know what happened to them.
But here's the thing, at that moment like that,
there's nothing that the coast guard
or any authority can say.
We're there to save people.
Okay. But what did you expect us to do, then?
Because ignoring the authorities is not a good solution.
Stay and rescue.
You should have stood by the decision and let us refuse the orders.
-It would've been bad. -This is our ship.
We are free to do as we please on it.
But it's not your ship! It's not ours either.
You didn't pay for it. It is not private property.
It's not ours!
And all of us know that you just want to save people,
but we have to play by the damn rules!
I'm not doing what I want to. I'm doing what I have to.
Well, Jugend Rettet always has to cooperate.
I mean, if cooperating means letting people die out there,
we shouldn't cooperate.
It is criminal to go against the authorities.
We will lose funding, and we won't save any lives.
This silly image you're trying to project by wearing your designer outfits--
[both] Viola!
It's not helping us rescue anyone. It's an act!
-You're out of line! -[Viola] I carry corpses.
You just sit at your desk with your spreadsheets.
Wow, Viola. You don't get it at all.
Without us here, in Berlin, you wouldn't have a ship.
I don't sit here and sweet-talk for donations.
I do public relations, fundraising, advocacy work,
and read every fucking email.
I sift through all the hate.
How dare you say I just sit here!
I'm killing myself to get people's support!
Without all the work we do here, we wouldn't have a single penny.
Yeah, but if we let the Italians bully us, your fucking money's useless!
Enough!
This is why we're falling apart.
You're being really disrespectful and self-righteous.
-I just say it how it is. -Why are you fighting us?
'Cause we have to.
[sighs]
-[lighter clicks] -She was really shitty in there.
[scoffs, sighs]
I spend like all of my time in this place.
I don't have a life, and they say I don't care?
I'm more into my outfits than saving the migrants who need my help?
She's all acting like there's two types of people.
The ones who work at computers and those who save lives.
I hear you. Just try to keep in mind these are views on the same problem.
At the end of the day,
the point is to get out there and save lives.
I'm perfectly aware of what goes on at sea even though I don't go on the missions!
But the people here don't seem to care about that!
Y'know, before it was all, "We can do it!" That time's passed.
Nobody wants anything to change around here.
Sure, they want the migrant problem to be solved.
They don't want to actually help with any of it though.
They want it to just disappear!
How can they see that welcoming people could bring us together
if it's tearing us apart?
[sighs] I think I should work elsewhere.
-Sorry. -Domi.
Domi!
[sighs]
[energetic music playing]
Hey.
[woman sighs] Fucking Libyan Coast Guard.
Oh shit.
-They're shooting at them. -[gunfire on video]
-Do you know where Sören and Viola are? -Upstairs.
Thanks.
[Viola] Last year's militia are now official Libyan Coast Guard.
[Sören] Yeah. Europe's actually training and financing them.
[Viola] Everything's changing. It's crazy.
No one wants anything to do with refugees.
[Sören] European countries want to block the Mediterranean route.
That's why they ordered us to Lampedusa. They don't want witnesses.
[Viola] Yeah. They want us to back down.
[Sören] But there are as many dinghies out there as last year.
They come in waves.
Sometimes we see eight or nine boats out there at the same time.
[Viola] It's insane. Hundreds of people.
They all die if no one rescues them.
[thunder rumbles]
[passengers clamoring]
[Lukas] Sören!
Sören!
-Sören! -What?
There's way too many of them! Where's the fucking coast guard?
[Sören] They said they were on their way! But that was hours ago!
We can't handle it all alone!
Get the people from there, onto the life raft.
We'll fill the raft, okay?
Everybody, I need your help.
Pull the people inside.
Okay.
I need space. Guys, I need space!
-[man panting] -[Lukas] I got him! I got him!
Come on, let me through. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
[passengers clamoring]
What's up with the coast guard?
They saw two other boats that need rescuing.
What about other ships? The navy?
-Apparently, no one can. -No one can help?
-Okay. -Hang on, Sören.
We've got to get everyone on deck and dump the life rafts.
-No way. We can't. -We've got to.
This boat won't move in this weather if we don't!
It's the way to fight the waves.
Viola. The deck is full. Why don't you get that?
-There's no more room! -I get it, but it's the only way.
-One big wave and it's all over. -Yeah, I know that!
Fuck.
[under breath] God fucking damn it. Lord help us.
Get everyone up! Get them all up there!
Lukas! Lukas! Maik! Come up here!
We have to get everyone up here. Everyone below deck!
Here, come on! Come up!
Get below deck!
Get everyone down there! Get everyone below deck!
One after the other!
[panicked clamoring]
Get inside. You can come here. Come here, come here.
Okay, go inside. Go inside! Go inside, go inside.
[woman sobbing]
She's really weak. She's really weak.
Watch your head. Watch your feet, please!
Go there.
Okay, be careful. Try to hold on.
Be careful! Watch your step, please. Go there.
Please move back a bit.
-One by one! -Back up!
Slower. Careful, please. Please, take care!
Spread out! Everybody spread out!
Please, everyone needs to wait a minute! And be careful!
Please slow down!
Try to make space for everyone.
[Viola] Mayday, mayday. This is Iuventa, Iuventa, Iuventa.
I have 400 people on board.
With the current weather situation, I'm not able to safely navigate.
Please. I need immediate assistance. I'm not able to get out of this situation.
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
[screaming]
[somber music building]
[Sören] Man overboard!
[Lukas] Go back to your vessel! Go back!
[Lukas] Go back to the--
[man gasping]
Okay, come here! Come here! Grab my hand!
Hold on tight! I'm here for you! Take my hand!
[yelps]
[man] Over here! Come on! Take my hand!
Come on! Come on, now!
[Lukas grunts, panting]
God help us.
[screams continue in distance]
[Lukas] We were out there for 48 hours in total.
We were left to ourselves completely.
No ships came to help. The Coast Guard never showed up.
Neither did the Navy.
Our ship was so packed, we couldn't fit anyone else.
We had to watch people drown.
We ran out of space on board and life vests. We had nothing.
We were devastated. We were over capacity. People kept coming.
We couldn't help them all.
A container ship finally appeared and offered us a hand.
With that crew's help, we got to catch up
with another rescue mission.
Folks from Save the Children, a big ship.
The people we'd rescued got on. That's what we do.
You're still in the Mediterranean. Whereabouts?
In Malta.
Yeah. We're getting ourselves ready for the next mission.
Bergmann, what are you thinking?
You believe policies are sufficient in dealing with this?
Uh… Well, let me just start by saying that these young folks
are doing some extraordinary work down there.
And look, I don't mean to question their motives.
They are surely honorable. They really are.
But as far as we see it, these rescue ships are also pull factors.
You mean they actually cause these migrants
to risk their lives in the hopes of being saved?
Exactly.
They're willing to do just about anything
to get out of their dire situations.
They'll risk their lives if a ship is supposed to bring them to Europe.
-But it doesn't happen like that at all. -Mr. Weiland?
I mean, I'm sorry but it's not true.
People don't get onto these dinghies
thinking an NGO rescue ship is waiting out there to save them.
No, people do it because they're in war zones.
They're living in countries that outlaw their sexuality or religion.
They can't even feed their families.
You have to be pretty desperate to get on a rubber dinghy like that.
One would only venture out to sea for a matter of life or death.
Once on board our boat, they're not interested in welfare checks.
All they want is to write to their mothers to tell them they survived.
And what is your response
to the allegations that there are rescuers working with the human traffickers?
That there's a whole line of communication that takes place
before each dinghy departs.
That's not true either. These allegations are false.
The authorities are aware of that.
That's all false information aimed at discrediting our mission.
Of course, people end up believing it
since it's repeated so much on talk shows like this.
There's never any communication in advance with them.
We heard that you leave them boats and motors sometimes.
We're in the middle of the sea.
So, of course, we can't always destroy the rubber dinghies during rescues.
We're busy saving people in danger because… because it's our priority.
Our mission is saving lives. Not handling boats.
MALTA. LATE JULY 2017
[gentle music playing]
[Kitty sighs]
[both chuckle softly]
-Wow, you look like shit. -[scoffs] Yeah.
-Let's go for a walk. -Mm-hmm.
[sighs]
So what's the conference, uh… you're going to?
-Where is it again? -Uh, in Syracuse, in Sicily.
Right.
The conference is focused on international human rights.
Nina mentioned the situation down here is getting really hard.
[scoffs] That's an understatement, for sure.
This is a war.
They're fighting the refugees, so they're fighting us too.
The Italian government has asked us to sign a code of conduct.
They want the police to ride along on the Iuventa
so they can… interrogate the refugees as soon as they board.
Odds are, they're just going to ask, "Who was driving the dinghy?"
And someone will proudly say they were in charge,
feeling heroic, and they'll get locked up for 20 years for human trafficking.
Most NGOs already signed it, but we're not gonna do that.
I know exactly how they're gonna answer.
[Kitty sighs]
My ferry's gonna leave soon.
[hesitates]
When's your next mission?
Uh… tomorrow.
[Kitty sighs]
[huffs]
[sniffles]
[sighs deeply]
[exhales] Take care of yourself.
[tender music rises]
[indistinct chatter]
[Sören] Excuse me. Why are you bringing two people on board?
-[officer speaking Italian] -[Sören] No. Don't.
Where did you find them? What do you want us to do with them now?
-[guard speaking Italian] -[Sören] No. It is a problem.
'Cause we don't know why they're here.
[officer speaking Italian]
[Sören] What should we do now? No, I don't understand.
Who are they?
Apparently, two brothers from Syria.
[Lukas] With nice suitcases? Brought here by the Coast Guard.
So we need to take them to Lampedusa? For real?
-Yeah. -That's nuts.
-[Paula] We're just trying to-- -Okay, stop. Um…who are you?
-We are brothers from Syria. -Brothers, okay.
-[Paula] Lukas. -Just wait a second.
Honestly, you don't look like brothers. Can you stop filming for a second?
What is this? What are you doing here?
We're doing interviews for a documentary.
[scoffs] Documentary?
-About the situation of refugees. -Okay, no. Uh, please take it down, okay?
We're not doing an interview. We're not doing a documentary here.
-Take it down. Hey! Take it… Fuck! -What?
This is insane.
LAMPEDUSA, 02 AUGUST 2017
[crowd clamoring]
Who's the captain here?
-This ship is under police investigation. -Why?
I'm sorry, madam. But you have to leave the ship.
-What's the reason? -Please.
The whole crew has to leave the ship. Now.
-Come on. -We've done nothing wrong.
There is no reason for us to leave this ship.
-[officers speaking Italian] -[Viola] I mean…
Are we under arrest? What? Please don't touch me.
[indistinct chatter]
[sounds distort]
[cell phone vibrating]
Nina? Wait, we're putting you on speaker.
-All right. -[Nina] Okay. Where are you?
By the boat. They're searching it.
[Nina] I know. The phones are ringing off the hook here.
They're seizing the ship now.
We're going to get charged with human trafficking.
[quietly] What?
[Nina] That's what the Italian authorities told the press.
They've got a 400-page indictment against us.
-[sighs] -It's all over the media already.
[Maik] Yup, look at all this.
So, they knew before us?
Looks like they were fully prepared.
I found a lawyer from Borderline Europe who's on vacation on Lampedusa.
She's headed to the indictment hearing right now,
and you need to meet with her.
Okay, thanks.
-[Nina] Take care of yourselves. -We will. Bye.
[officer] Yes. Take them all.
[woman] First, I have to ask you to switch off your mobile devices, please.
And I see that you have a fridge.
Would you be so kind to actually switch them off
and put them in there, please?
Thank you.
They tapped over 40 phones. Lawyers, priests, journalists…
It's all in here.
There are three criminal offenses brought against the Iuventa crew.
One suggests a direct handover of people from the smugglers to the Iuventa.
The other one, a hand gesture, like waving.
Which is supposed to prove communication and establish relationship
between you and them.
Hand-waving?
They seized our ship because someone waved a hand?
Yes.
-[scoffs] -And… the third one
accuses you of returning three refugee boats to Libyan smugglers.
This all results in a charge of aiding and abetting unauthorized immigration,
which means people smuggling.
How did they get the photos?
Obviously they had someone on board who took them.
There was a spy? There was a spy on board the other ship?
-We just pulled the boats out of the way. -Yeah.
We tried not to jeopardize the rescue operation.
If you only look at the photo, it tells a different story.
And that's the story that they told the press.
What?
Oh, and there is one more thing.
The files indicate that the Italian authorities
have transcripts of conversations on board of the Iuventa.
-[both] What? -You mean they bugged us?
Mm.
That's why they ordered us to Lampedusa. To bug us.
[sighs] Shit, man.
What happens if we're… uh, what's the word?
-Convicted. -Yeah.
People smuggling is a serious accusation.
So if the court rules against you, you might have to go to jail.
-[sighs] -How long?
At least five, up to 20 years.
And 15,000 euro fine per person brought into Italy.
[sighs]
[somber music playing]
[message alerts playing]
[line ringing]
-[Lamin] Hello, my friend. -[chuckles] Hello, Lamin.
[in German] I tried to call you five times.
[in English] I saw that, yeah. You already speaking German, or what
[in German] Yes, I got a course! Intensive course.
And I told myself, "If you want to go to school, you have to learn German."
-[in English] That's fantastic. -[In German] Yes, it's hard.
-It's really a difficult language. -[chuckles]
But now I can stay in Germany.
I'll finish school, and then I'll do an apprenticeship.
Industrial mechanic.
[in English] Industrial mechanics? Cool. [chuckles]
And I called you because I wanted to tell you something
I couldn't have done that without you all. You know?
That day on your ship was the happiest day in my life, you know?
And now, I'm getting educated.
I can follow my dreams.
And I can do all of that because of you.
That's why I wanted to thank you.
That's why I'm calling.
-What is wrong, my friend? -Nothing.
-What is it? -Lamin, they seized our ship.
What?
Yeah, they're saying we work with smugglers together.
-But you don't. -No, I know. I know we don't.
-I tell them that you didn't do that. -[chuckles]
Yeah, that would… that would be great.
I tell them that you did not work with the smugglers.
I was there. I can testify.
We all do. All of us.
Without you, we all would have died. For sure.
You saved us and now, we'll save you.
Lamin, that… that would be amazing.
Really.
[indistinct chatter]
What if the refugees are our witnesses?
They were there. They can say that they were in distress.
That they fought for their lives and we didn't collaborate with smugglers.
I mean, we don't know where they are today.
They probably live all over Europe if they are still in Europe.
-We can find them, I'm sure. Right? -[sighs]
[energetic music playing]
When are we allowed to leave Lampedusa?
Who are the people in charge of the Iuventa?
So I would suggest the three of you stay here
and wait for the decision of the authorities.
They might come up to question you or come up with an arrest warrant.
Why can't we just fly back? I mean, what can they do?
Arrest us because we tried to flee?
[lawyer] Yes.
[Viola] What? But no, they can't arrest us.
We are all European citizens.
I mean, they just seized our ship without any reason.
[lawyer] Exactly.
I think the crew can leave. They can't force them to stay.
But… I don't know what will happen to the three of you.
Great. I guess we're stuck here.
I'll be, uh, right back.
-Lukas! -[Lukas] I know how to get us out of here!
[Lukas] I knew Mauro had a sailing license.
So he got on the next flight to Mallorca with Nina.
Good luck.
Dressed like tourists, they chartered a boat
and sailed nonstop for five days and five nights straight to Lampedusa.
While the rest of the crew flew back to Berlin,
Nina and Mauro smuggled us off the island.
[hopeful music playing]
[hopeful music fades]
[Lukas] For a brief moment, we were free.
We're officially in international waters. You can come up.
-Let's celebrate. -[Nina] Okay.
I know this is super inappropriate,
but we were given this bottle when we rented the boat.
-So let's enjoy. -Cheers.
To us.
[gentle music playing]
The case became one of the longest and most elaborate
against a civilian rescue organization in history.
[crowd chanting]
[prosecutor] Were you responsible for communication during the operations?
Among others, yes.
So your crew relied on secret, encrypted channels? Is that correct?
We used WhatsApp. It's not secret. It's practical.
The Italian authorities wanted to set a precedent with us,
despite there being no evidence to support their claims.
Witnesses reported strong light signal from your ship.
What were you signaling?
Nothing. We were scanning for boats in distress.
Using searchlights at night
is standard procedure in every rescue operation.
[Lukas] They called us the "taxis of the sea."
[speaking indistinctly]
[Lukas] Their goal was to discredit and silence us.
Every transfer was documented, reported to the authorities.
You can check the records, the e-mails, the phone logs…
It's all there. Everything is on record.
[Lukas] We continued trying to find those we'd rescued.
Anyone willing to testify that we were innocent.
Many were living in temporary camps and shelters,
far from their families and dreams of a safe future.
[Rose gasps]
[Lukas] They were all willing to testify for us.
-Hi. -[Lukas] Hello, Rose.
[Rose] We were captured by the Libyan militias in the desert.
And taken to prison.
They beat us and left us without food for days.
Many women were forced into prostitution.
When I close my eyes, I… I still hear the scream of people.
Objection. None of this is relevant to this case.
Overruled. It's relevant. Please go on.
[Lamin] We were drifting for days, abandoned at sea,
before the Iuventa found us.
There was no direct handover. Or collaboration with the smugglers.
Without them, I would not be here.
We would not be here to tell our story.
We would be dead.
The Iuventa people saved our lives.
That's what they did.
[Lukas] On April 19, 2024, after over 40 hearings and seven years,
the judge announced the verdict.
The evidence presented in this case
speaks with absolute clarity and completeness
to the absence of the offenses brought against the defendants.
When individuals risk their lives to escape torture and enslavement,
this court cannot punish those
whose actions were aimed towards ensuring their survival.
The act of saving lives at sea
is not and has never been a criminal offense.
-[Lukas] Yeah! -[group exclaims]
[Lukas] We were acquitted on all charges.
[gentle music rises]
[Lukas] I can only speak for myself,
but I will always rescue people from drowning.
[gentle music swells]
Helping is not a crime.
It is an act of humanity.
[energetic music playing]
BETWEEN 2016 AND 2017,
THE IUVENTA CREW SAVED OVER 23,000 LIVES.
DURING THE SEVEN YEARS OF THE TRIAL AGAINST THE IUVENTA
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DROWNED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN,
WITH THE ALMOST ONE MILLION EUROS SPENT ON THE TRIAL
"JUGEND RETTET" COULD HAVE CONTINUED SAVING LIVES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
FOR FOUR MORE YEARS.
OR BOUGHT SIX MORE SHIPS LIKE THE IUVENTA
AND USED THEM FOR RESCUE OPERATIONS.
THE IUVENTA RUSTED IN THE PORT OF TRAPANI.
IN 2024, IT WAS RETURNED TO "JUGEND RETTET" AS A WRECK.
MANY MEMBERS OF THE IUVENTA CREW REMAINED ACTIVE DESPITE THE CHARGES
AND WORKED WITH OTHER RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS.
IN 2020, THE IUVENTA CREW WAS AWARDED
THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE FOR THEIR WORK.
THEIR STORY INSPIRED MANY OTHERS TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED.
THIS FILM IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN,
TO THOSE WHO SURVIVED, AND TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED THEM.
23,000 LIVES
[music fades]
Subtitle translation by: Diana Renker