The figures for GDR deep-sea fishing are still impressive today: in its heyday, it was the largest fleet ever to sail under the German flag. Over 100 ships braved the most adverse conditions on the world's oceans for 40 years - and not a single one was lost.
Search for the last witnesses of GDR deep-sea fishing
After privatisation in 1990, this maritime heritage threatened to end under the cutting torch of the shipbreaking yards. Director Fröhlich spent eight years researching around the world to track down the remaining units of GDR deep-sea fishing. His filmic search for traces leads from the icebergs of Greenland via Spain and Denmark to the port of Hamburg. He portrays four steel colossi that have defied oblivion and found new purpose - from being used as sea rescuers to floating cultural centres.
More than just steel and rivets
Narrated by Charly Hübner, the film is a maritime journey through time that goes beyond a mere chronicle of fishing. The film focuses on the remarkable bond between man and material. Fröhlich addresses the structural changes brought about by globalisation and German reunification as a reflection on home, memory and the preservation of contemporary technical witnesses.
The documentary offers a cinema experience for all those for whom a boat is not just a means of transport, but a reliable companion. A worthwhile date for the next shore leave planning.
- Director: Tom Fröhlich
- Speaker: Charly Hübner
- Cinema release: 02.07. 2026
More information and the trailer for the film "The dream of being unsinkable" about the GDR deep-sea fishing fleet can be seen at here.
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