Strange Neighbors

The small island of Schwarztonnensand - barely three and a half kilometers long and half a kilometer wide - is a byproduct of the Elbe deepening: built up from gravel so that ever-larger ships can reach Hamburg's port. It lies directly on the Elbe shipping lane, in the midst of the stream of global trade.

Yet nature has claimed its space here. Sea eagles, geese, and deer live on the island, just a stone's throw from cargo ships and the machinery of industrial plants on the shore. Hardly any coexistence seems more unreal.

For her debut film, Mi Steinbach explored the Elbe island for weeks. The images live from their contrast and at the same time from their intimacy - held together by Bernhard Reddig's precise editing and the music of Robert Nacken.