PREMIERE MID 2024. A wordless film of a trap fisherman in a world where the sea, the wind and the tide speak. For ages, Sieme has worked for a marine research institute, emptying their fish trap every day. When he turns 65, a successor has still not been found for this hard work. Sieme doesn’t mind, as he would love to continue his job till the end like his father and grandfather. Then young newcomers arrive, one after the other, enthusiastic at first, only to leave again soon afterwards.
As he gets older, saying goodbye to his way of life becomes increasingly difficult, until he has to.
Documentary
Logline: Portrait of a fisherman who needs to pass on his craft, but doesn’t want to let go.
Time: 36 minutes
Genre: portrait
Achieved: 2024
On the island of Texel, I followed Sieme Gieles, the trap fisherman from the NIOZ, for almost a decade with my camera. I watched him change and with him the world around him. Without speaking, he silently had to accept all the changes. The climate, the overfishing and the youth’s different view of the old standards and values of his craft and profession.
Director, producer, script, camera, sound recording and distribution by Threes Anna.