Otto Scheidel, captain of the last coal-powered paddle steamer Jenissei on the Elbe, is facing a turning point in his life. He has been at the helm of the ship for 22 years, but now that hardly anyone wants to take on the hard work of shoveling coal, the Yenisei is to be converted into a museum and restaurant ship. This decision hits Otto hard, as does the separation from his girlfriend Carola, called Caramba (Renate Krößner), who wants a quieter life. While the Yenisei embarks on its last voyage and is then run as a restaurant by Caramba, Otto tries to reorganize his life and starts working as a rail worker. But when he witnesses ships getting stuck on the Elbe, an idea germinates in him: only a ship like the Yenisei could free the stuck ships. Despite being forbidden to board the ship, he sneaks on board and fakes a fire in order to set sail with the Yenisei and rescue the ships. The dramatic rescue operation pushes not only the Yenisei but also the relationships of the people on board to their limits. When the coal runs out and the situation seems hopeless, Otto's tireless efforts are put to the test. Caramba (Renate Krößner) realizes how much the Yenisei and its crew mean to him, and the two find each other again. The film FEUER UNTER DECK, based on Wolfgang Müller's short story collection "Flußgeschichten", tells of loyalty, community and inevitable change. It was filmed in 1976 in historic towns along the Elbe and only premiered in the GDR in 1979 after political turmoil. Otto and Caramba's (Renate Krößner) story is a testimony to the life-changing power of love and attachment to one's homeland.
Timeless
1h 23min
12 FSK
DE
Otto Scheidel, captain of the last coal-powered paddle steamer Jenissei on the Elbe, is facing a turning point in his life.
Otto Scheidel, captain of the last coal-powered paddle steamer Jenissei on the Elbe, is facing a turning point in his life. He has been at the helm of the ship for 22 years, but now that hardly anyone wants to take on the hard work of shoveling coal, the Yenisei is to be converted into a museum and restaurant ship. This decision hits Otto hard, as does the separation from his girlfriend Carola, called Caramba (Renate Krößner), who wants a quieter life.
While the Yenisei embarks on its last voyage and is then run as a restaurant by Caramba, Otto tries to reorganize his life and starts working as a rail worker. But when he witnesses ships getting stuck on the Elbe, an idea germinates in him: only a ship like the Yenisei could free the stuck ships. Despite being forbidden to board the ship, he sneaks on board and fakes a fire in order to set sail with the Yenisei and rescue the ships.
The dramatic rescue operation pushes not only the Yenisei but also the relationships of the people on board to their limits. When the coal runs out and the situation seems hopeless, Otto's tireless efforts are put to the test. Caramba (Renate Krößner) realizes how much the Yenisei and its crew mean to him, and the two find each other again.
The film FEUER UNTER DECK, based on Wolfgang Müller's short story collection "Flußgeschichten", tells of loyalty, community and inevitable change. It was filmed in 1976 in historic towns along the Elbe and only premiered in the GDR in 1979 after political turmoil. Otto and Caramba's (Renate Krößner) story is a testimony to the life-changing power of love and attachment to one's homeland.