Beyond the Sea

A cloudy day in spring 1899. The wind sweeps across the sea, causing small white foam crests to form. The old lighthouse keeper OTTO goes about his daily tasks. As he trudges into the tidal flats, he startles: A young man lies motionless on the shore. Upon closer inspection, Otto notices that the boy is still breathing.

Overwhelm is evident on the old man's face. It had been so long since he had any contact with another person.

Joseph begins to gain Otto's trust as he assists him in daily life. They fish together and sing to the off-key notes emanating from Otto's harmonica. However, Otto's deep-seated fear of strangers gnaws at the bond between them.

Director Statement

One of my biggest fears, maybe even the biggest one I have: Dying alone. My absolute horror scenario: what if I fall down the stairs, lie there and know, "I'm going to die now and no one will notice. No one will even care." A few months later, firemen and policemen enter my apartment and find a half-decomposed body. My body is burned and I disappear from this planet as if I had never been there. With this film I want to deal more with this idea and the theme of loneliness. The image of a lighthouse inspired me as a symbol for being alone. I asked myself: "How lonely would I feel after just one day as a lighthouse keeper?" and "What would that do to me? For me my friends and family are everything, or rather I often have the feeling that without them I am nothing. I need social contact. Constantly. The film is an attempt to approach this topic and to show how important trust, friendship and social environment are.