Like a Fish

For most children, learning to swim is a fun pastime and a rite of passage. But for young refugees attempting the treacherous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea, ‘swimming like a fish’ is a literal life skill to be put to the ultimate test in a desperate struggle to survive. To highlight the dangers facing these children - and support its vital rescue missions - NGO Sea-Eye has launched Like a Fish, a powerful new film directed by Oliver Bernotat and produced by Simon & Paul.

Launching on UNICEF World Children’s Day [20 November], Like a Fish was inspired by a shocking statistic: since 2018, over 1,500 children have drowned or gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea while fleeing to Europe.

In the film, which opens on a typical beach scene complete with giggling children, parasols and families frolicking in the water, a father is seen encouraging his son to swim ‘like a fish’ in the gentle waves. But the moment of joy when he swims off independently soon turns dark - as the scene shifts for the child who is now alone in a vast ocean wearing a life vest - desperately trying to reach land while repeating his dad’s mantra: ‘like a fish’.

Simple yet devastatingly effective, the film shines a spotlight on an issue that has all but disappeared from the headlines - with the powerful reminder that no child should have to swim for their lives. Adding a further sense of authenticity, the film was shot in Tunisia with a Tunisian cast, one of the major jumping off points on the deadly Mediterranean migrant route.

Almost two years in the making, the film was created for Sea-Eye - an NGO dedicated to rescuing refugees in the Mediterranean, saving lives and offering hope - on an entirely pro-bono basis. As well as directing the film, Oliver Bernotat developed the creative concept alongside creative director Ibrahem Ghareib, while production was handled by Hamburg-based production and creative studio Simon & Paul, with music by Thomas Muis from 2WEI Music.