Berlinale Selection 2021
Silence of the tides

Mon, 24.01.2022
10:00 PM Pantheon Cinema

Silence of the tides / Der Atem des Meeres – a poetic cinema documentary about the impressive universe of the largest marshland in the world: the Wadden Sea.

The film immerses into the breathing rhythm of ebb and flow, tells of the extraordinary flora and fauna, the close-to-nature life of the people, the contrasts, seasons, life and death, storm and silence, masses and individuals, the small details and the big picture... All against a backdrop of sky, water, wind, fog, ever-changing light and an ever-present horizon.

On the one hand, man and nature are harmonious and respectful, residents make a living, guests enjoy the vastness and beauty of nature, but on the other hand, there is conflict, because the interests of man and the fragile inland system of the tidal flat seem to contradict each other. Fossil fuel development is blighting the area. Annoying geese are shot down. Military jets thunder across the landscape, ripping the silence apart. People dump their waste oil, leave their torn fishing nets in the water, and throw their trash overboard. And huge container ships lose their cargo, which washes ashore in pieces, threatening fauna and flora...

As a counterweight to human activity, we see millions of migratory birds, habitats of seals and crabs, flounders and mussels.... a highly complex inland system. And again and again the fascinating change of the tides, omnipresent and formative - the UNESCO World Heritage Site has many faces and holds countless fascinating stories...

Directed by: Pieter-Rim de Kroon
Screenplay: Pieter-Rim de Kroon & Michiel Beishuizen
Production: Annemiek Van Der Hell
Cinematography: Dick Harrewijn
Film editing: Erik Disselhoff

Awards:
Nominated for the kinokino Audience Award (Sponsored by BR and 3sat)