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The Ship

Two young lovers embark on a mysterious journey; their romantic adventure on a cargo ship soon turns into a nightmare of jealousy, treason and desire.

synopsis

Hamburg harbour, early 20th century. Gus, a young man, passionately in love with Ellena, the daughter of a merchant captain, follows her on board the cargo sailing vessel named Lais, hiding himself as a stowaway. The ship has already embarked on its journey when the young lovers discover that it carries a secret military cargo, fated for an unknown destination. They soon learn that the real boss on board is not Ellena’s father but the sinister military agent Laufer, a brute with no qualms about having anybody thrown overboard who shows undue interest in the cargo and does not follow his orders to the letter. Gus thus has to remain hidden in the belly of the ship, an endless labyrinth of corridors and secret passageways. The journey becomes a trying ordeal enlivened only by the clandestine visits of his beloved and the company of some of the seamen who discover his presence on board and befriend him. Slowly, Gus becomes aware of the sailors’ rising fear of the unknown cargo. As Ellena’s visits become fewer and rumours hint of an alleged alliance with Laufer, Gus struggles increasingly to keep his mind from unravelling, while madness and paranoia steadily rise around him. After a heavy storm, Ellena is found missing. The crew believes Laufer is responsible for Ellena’s disappearance. Panic spreads on board. Set on finding Ellena and hell bent on taking revenge on Laufer, Gus becomes the leader of a mutiny...

Director’statement

In Hans Henny Jahnn’s novel The Ship I discovered what I admire in some of my favourite movies: the use of genre, which not only provides the audience with a thrilling, visceral and tantalizing plot, but also promotes a powerful human theme. There Will Be Blood, Black Swan, The Shining and Rosemary’s Baby for example are all films about the visceral side of the human mind, yet they take the audience on remarkable visual and emotional journeys. I envision The Ship being in the tradition of these films. I think of The Ship as a “thriller” version of a coming-of-age story – about a young man struggling to find his place in the adult world and a young woman who discovers the power she wields over men. Both young lovers will lose their innocence: it is a film about the dark side of passion, as well as the idea that love and violence are born within the same mysterious place in the human soul. Another quality that excites me about The Ship is the very particular story universe of the cargo ship where Gus and Ellena’s adventure is entirely set. It is commonly assumed that a good film should be like a journey into a new world – and this story literally takes you on a voyage. Comparable to a ride through a haunted house, we will embark on board the Lais with the main character. We always remain close to him, we discover the maze-like hallways, staircases and hidden rooms as he discovers them. His physical and mental trip is immediately experienced by the audience, who are dragged into the human drama of his love story and at the same time – with an accelerating pace – into a hallucinating spiral of suspense and shiver.

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