Between rust and longing: “A homeland film on the sea” on July 2nd on the big screen

What remains of an identity when the country it belongs to disappears and the steel behemoths, once considered "unsinkable," are scrapped? This is the question that award-winning director Tom Fröhlich explores in his third cinematic documentary, "The Dream of Being Unsinkable," which will be released nationwide in cinemas on July 2, 2026, by jip film & verleih

A journey through time and across the oceans

The East German deep-sea fishing fleet once comprised over 100 vessels – the largest fleet ever to sail under the German flag. In 40 years, not a single one of these ships was lost at sea. But the political changes brought an end to this world of work: the fleet was almost entirely scrapped or sold off around the globe.

Rostock-based director Tom Fröhlich has tracked down four of these last witnesses. His journey takes the audience from the icy waters off Greenland , through a Spanish port and a Danish scrapyard, to the Port of Hamburg. Narrated by the distinctive voice of actor Charly Hübner, a multifaceted portrait unfolds, exploring themes of work, community, and the painful loss of home.

Trailer

The protagonists: Ships with souls

The film focuses on four ships and their eventful fates:

• NIDA (formerly ROS 816): A freezer trawler, now sailing under the Lithuanian flag, on which the youngest sailor, Denis, struggles with seasickness and loneliness.
• SEEFUCHS: A former cutter that underwent a dramatic transformation from a fishing vessel to a sea rescue operation in the Mediterranean and finally became a pawn in international drug investigations.
• STUBNITZ: A technical monument that now serves as a floating cultural venue in the Port of Hamburg.
• BLUE WHALE: A cutter whose story exemplifies the end of an era and whose journey ends at a Danish scrapyard.

A personal look behind the Iron Curtain

For Tom Fröhlich (born 1989), who himself grew up in Rostock, the project is a labor of love. "The task of telling the stories of these places lies with my generation – because the witnesses are dwindling," says the director. The film documents the last meetings of the old captains and sailors, whose identities remain inextricably linked to their bunks and engine rooms.

Festival successes and production

"The Dream of Being Unsinkable" has already enjoyed great success at national festivals, including DOK.fest Munich, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Film Festival , and the Nordic Film Days Lübeck. The 87-minute film was produced by Rostocker Populärfilm in co-production with Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR).

Film data at a glance

• Title: On the dream of being unsinkable
• Genre: Documentary film
• Running time: 87 minutes
• Directed and written by: Tom Fröhlich
• Speaker: Charly Hübner
• Theatrical release: 02.07.2026

Distribution: jip film & verleih jutta Feit Hohenstaufenstraße 8, 60327 Frankfurt www.jip-film.de

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.

www.kunstplaza.de

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