23 000 Lives

Berlin, 2015, the "summer of migration": a group of young people follow the news from the Mediterranean with growing dismay. Thousands are attempting to reach Europe from Libya on overcrowded rubber boats, while state rescue missions have been discontinued and little help is available on the ground. Together with his girlfriend Kitty, his pragmatic roommate Nina, and photographer Mauro, Lukas hatches an unlikely plan: they found the organization "Jugend Rettet," launch a crowdfunding campaign, and spend months searching for a suitable ship, enduring countless setbacks along the way. Once the ship and funding are finally secured, the project gains momentum. At a shipyard in Emden, Lukas, Nina, Mauro, and dozens of volunteers restore the old trawler themselves; Volkswagen mechanics who read about electrical problems on Facebook stop by spontaneously to help. It is in Emden that the ship receives its name: Iuventa, Latin for youth.