– The goal was to create an honest, profound, and visually impactful film that also leaves room for the viewer’s own insights, says director and producer Teemu Leppälä, who also holds a sea captain’s qualification and has years of experience at sea.
The documentary film will premiere during Kotka’s Maritime Days at the Merikeskus Vellamo on 23.7. At the same time, the already released documentary Pilot on Board, produced and directed by Leppälä, will also be screened.
The film follows several captains on different vessels: from an icebreaker to a cargo ship, from an offshore vessel to the living room of a retired sea captain.
– Seafaring is teamwork where every professional group is important. We see what it’s like to live and work in a closed and demanding environment where leadership is measured in actions, not titles, Leppälä explains.
The film is supported by many industry players, such as Aboa Mare, Subsea7, Seaway 7, Finnlines, ESL Shipping, OSM, and many others. The documentary’s production has also received funding from the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and the Varustamo Foundation.
– Seafaring needs storytelling that highlights the demands of the work and how crucial expertise at sea is. This documentary is a tribute to those who safely guide ships from port to port—often as invisible heroes, Leppälä states.
The auditorium at Merikeskus Vellamo will serve as the cinema for Maritime Days, where these films will be screened:
Haru, Island of the Solitary (Lumifilm Oy), in collaboration with Maritime Days and the Finnish Maritime Museum
A documentary about writer Tove Jansson and graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä’s summers on the skerry of Haru in the Gulf of Finland from 1970 to 1991.
Teemu Leppälä’s documentary films Captain on Board and Pilot on Board.
Pilot on Board is a documentary film that showcases the responsible and demanding work of a pilot year-round—in all weather conditions, on different vessels, and in various ports.
A dance film screening Dance of the Seas.
Kati Kallio’s curated screening features a compilation of short international dance films where water and the sea play a central role.
The film screenings are open and free for all. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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