Home Is the Ocean

Young programmers from the Elvira Vatovec Prade Primary School present
Home Is the Ocean (12+) 

Livia Vonaesch, Switzerland, 2024, 94′, in German with Slovene and English subtitles 

Twenty-five years ago, a Swiss couple set sail to conduct field research in the world’s most remote regions—and have remained on their sailboat ever since, welcoming six children on the way. For seven years, the filmmaker documented how the family defies conventional views on education, home, safety, and relationships. But as the children grow up, they face new challenges and doubts. 

With an introduction by Young programmers aged 12 to 14 from the Elvira Vatovec Prade Primary School.

Poster created by young programmers from the Elvira Vatovec Prade Primary School

About the Schwörers
The Schwörers are the initiators of the Swiss non-profit TOPtoTOP Global Climate Expedition after witnessing the rapid impact of climate change in the Swiss Alps. The father, Swiss climatologist and mountain guide Dario Schwörer, together with his wife Sabine, set out 25 years ago to connect all climate zones by sailing the seven seas and reaching the highest peaks on each continent, relying only on natural power and human determination. The family has lived together 24 hours a day on just 20 square metres of living space, seven days a week. Traveling aboard their expedition sailboat Pachamama, they have covered more than 100,000 nautical miles, visited over 100 countries, and shared their message of environmental responsibility with more than 100,000 students worldwide.

First-hand
»It was the children who captivated me from the start. I wanted to accompany them on their journey, as they grew up on the ship, to capture their questions and observe how they found their own way in life. Over the years, as a member of the sailing crew, I became part of their world and learned more and more about the many facets of the Schwörer family’s contrasting lifestyle. This is how Home is the Ocean became a seven-year long-term project – an intimate portrait of their life in a microcosm on the boundless ocean. The film does not focus on the adventure stories of this sailing family, nor did I want to provide definitive answers. Instead, the film invites viewers to ask fundamental questions – about social structures, conventions, education, self determination and freedom. The Schwörers’ radical lifestyle may be unsettling, but it also encourages viewers to reflect on their own life choices and responsibilities.« — Livia Vonaesch

About the Author
Livia Vonaesch is a filmmaker who studied Sociology and Communication Sciences in Lucerne and Potsdam and graduated from the Ringier School of Journalism. Her work spans journalistic and artistic projects, exploring existential questions, human relationships, and connections to the environment.  

The screening takes place as part of the project ‘Young Programmers for Young Audiences! European Film Festival Network’ with the support of Creative Europe MEDIA. The Young4Film network is coordinated by Kino Otok – Isola Cinema International Film Festival, network members are Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival (Serbia), Vilnius Short Film Festival (Lithuania), Piccolo Grande Cinema (Italy), Cinehill Film Festival (Croatia) and Valladolid International Film Week – SEMINCI (Spain).