Jana Stallein’s moving documentary “Where the Waves Took Her” celebrated a highly acclaimed premiere at CineStar Kino in der KulturBrauerei in Berlin. Following numerous festival screenings, UCM.ONE and NONFY Documentaries will release director Jana Stallein’s first feature-length documentary in German theaters on September 3.
The official premiere to mark the film’s theatrical release took place on September 3, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. before a nearly sold-out crowd at the KulturBrauerei; the event was hosted by UCM.ONE in collaboration with its partners Sea-Eye, SOS Humanity, Sea Punks, Sea Watch, and United 4 Rescue. Among the guests were representatives of the partner organizations as well as numerous representatives from the press and the film industry.
Theatrical release: In theaters in Germany starting September 3, 2026.
Following the screening of “Where the Waves Took Her”, a post-screening discussion moderated by Sea-Eye co-executive director Anna Di Bari took place. Director Jana Stallein, producer Charlotte Peters, cinematographer Sophia Fenn, and protagonist Anne-Katrin Klotzsch, a midwife who served on the SOS Humanity sea rescue mission documented in the film, spoke to the visibly moved audience about the film’s development and the challenges of filming, as well as the harrowing experiences and, at times, sobering realities faced by those rescued after arriving in Europe. The highly interested and engaged audience also participated actively in the discussion.
The theatrical release of “Where the Waves Took Her” aims to counter the public and media debate on sea rescue—which is often mired in clichés—with new images: images of people who refuse to accept that Europe’s humanistic values are being drowned in the Mediterranean.
Synopsis
For many people, crossing the Mediterranean to Europe is often their last hope of escaping war, persecution, and hunger. As increasing numbers of women and children are forced to undertake one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes, a midwife has become a permanent member of the crew aboard a search-and-rescue vessel. “Where the Waves Took Her” follows Berlin-based midwife Anne-Katrin on her first rescue mission. Her journey unfolds in parallel with the women’s stories of displacement.
As we join Anne-Katrin in meeting the strong, all-female medical team on board and preparing with them for an emergency, the displaced women recount the suffering they endured on their journey to Europe through a distinctive visual approach involving long-exposure photography and a water-filled studio. The long exposures create blurred, poetic images that not only preserve the women’s anonymity and protect their identities, but also convey the emotional intensity of their experiences in a new way. On board the ship, the worlds of the women and the crew briefly come together before the women arrive in Italy and begin another journey into the unknown.
Further information about the film: Where the Waves Took Her
Further information about the label: NONFY Documentaries
