When Paul Came Over the Sea - Journal of an Encounter

by Jakob Preuss
  • 2017 Weydemann Bros GmbH - Juan Sarmiento G

    Synopsis

    Paul has made his way from his home in Cameroon across the Sahara to the Moroccan coast where he now lives in a forest waiting for the right moment to cross the Mediterranean. This is where he meets Jakob, a filmmaker from Berlin, who is filming along Europe's borders. Soon afterwards, Paul manages to cross over to Spain on a rubber boat. He survives - but half of his companions die on this tragic 50 hour odyssey. Held for two months in a deportation centre, upon his release Paul meets Jakob again at a shelter for migrants in Southern Spain. When Paul decides to continue on to Germany, Jakob has to make a choice: will he become an active part of Paul's pursuit of a better life or remain a detached documentary filmmaker?

    Festivals

    Winner of
    Gerd Ruge Stipendium 2011
    Best Pitch of NPP 2012
    Haghefilm International Prize of NPP Work-in-Progress 2013
    shortlisted for German Film Award, Best Documentary

    Festivals among others:
    Max Ophüls Preis 2017 - Worldpremiere "Documentary Competition"
    IFF Rotterdamm 2017 - International Premiere "Bright Future" 3rd place Audience Award
    Bergamo Film Meeting, Italy - Winner "Best Documentary"
    Achtung Berlin - New Berlin Film Award
    Kirchliches Filmfestival Recklinghausen, Germany
    DocuDays UA Int. Human Rights FF, Ukraine
    LOLA@BERLINALE 2018
    Kino Festival NYC – Festival of German Films
    Visions du Réel industry, Media Library
    8th iREP Lagos Nigeria
    5th KOUDOUGOU Doc 2018

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