Nördlich von Libyen is a compelling documentary that illuminates European migration policy through the intimate portrait of two sea rescuers. Director Luise Müller tells the story of Antje, a former paramedic on sea rescue missions, and her partner Dariush, a captain who faces twenty years in prison in Italy for “aiding illegal immigration.”
The film develops a remarkable spatial dramaturgy: while the narrative extends beyond Europe’s external borders and addresses the precarious situation of refugees in the Mediterranean, the images consistently remain in Hamburg. This deliberate location binding to the North German port city creates a productive tension between the everyday and the political, between geographical distance and emotional proximity. “And then the sea is beautiful and at the same time also a grave,” reflects Antje in one of the film’s poignant scenes, while her small dog sleeps beside her on the sofa. This juxtaposition of intimacy and political significance characterizes the entire film and makes abstract European migration policy tangible through personal destinies. Luise Müller succeeds in making the violence of European border policy visible without resorting to spectacular images. Her approach follows the conviction that violence permeates all facets of society and manifests itself particularly in seemingly quiet, everyday moments. The film shows the “coexistence of two worlds” and makes clear how closely Europe’s periphery is connected to its center.

The film will be screened as part of the exhibition Care – between Tenderness and Resistance on October 11, 2025, at 2 PM at Stadtkino Wien and fits into the thematic context of the exhibition by treating care work as a political act of solidarity and resistance against inhumane border policies.