How do we act when we have to help? This is the question posed by the film "Styx" by Austrian director Wolfgang Fischer, which can be seen in German cinemas from today, 13 September.
Dream cruise turns into a drama
In the film, German emergency doctor Rike sets off on a single-handed voyage from Gibraltar to Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. It is supposed to be her break from work, a long-planned dream trip. But on the Atlantic, the sailor encounters an overloaded refugee boat that is in danger of sinking.
Trailer "Styx"
She informs the Spanish coastguard by radio and requests help. However, they are slow to arrive, but instruct the sailor not to do anything herself under any circumstances. However, as hour after hour passes and the doctor has to watch people jumping from the sinking ship into the water, she decides to take action herself.
One-woman show at sea
The emergency doctor Rike is played by the German actress Susanne Wolff, who spent several days at sea with instructors before the start of filming in order to credibly embody the role of a single-handed ocean sailor. Wolff's sailing experience up to that point was based on a few trips with her father and dinghy trips.
In addition to her convincing portrayal of an offshore sailor, the big challenge for her was also to keep the film from seeming monotonous, especially at the beginning without any dialogue. However, at the latest when she encounters the refugee boat and makes radio contact with the authorities, "Styx" picks up speed and presents the skipper with a human dilemma in addition to the sailing challenge.
Interview on the film release
YACHT spoke to Wolfgang Fischer about his production on a highly topical and explosive subject: What can and must yacht sailors do when they encounter a boat with refugees in distress in the Mediterranean? And what challenges did they face when shooting the film on the high seas? Fischer produced the film almost exclusively on board a Grand Soleil 40, and almost all the scenes were actually shot at sea.
