A documentary film about World War II refugees in Shanghai
The Story
Above the Drowning Sea tells the story of the dramatic escape of European Jews from Nazi-controlled Europe to Shanghai on the eve of World War Two.
As Hitler’s forces sought to expel the Jews from Europe, no other country would open its doors to the refugees. Their lives at stake, the refugees desperately looked for an escape from the coming Holocaust.
Then, a door opened on the east coast of far-away China, in Shanghai, an “open city” itself in chaos from foreign invasion and civil war. But getting there required a “golden” document to get out of Nazi Europe – a visa from China.
Above the Drowning Sea recounts the courageous intervention of Ho Feng Shan, the Chinese Consul in Vienna who defied his own government and braved the Gestapo to issue visas to the refugees.
Jewish refugees and the Chinese residents of Shanghai who helped them survive in China recount their experiences, terrors and deprivations as well as the remarkable friendships forged across cultures, friendships that survive to this day.
Shot in six countries over four continents, Above the Drowning Sea is a 90-minute documentary that takes you on an inspiring emotional journey across time and across the world. Truly a story that could have been ripped from today’s headlines, the film vividly celebrates the heroism and humanity of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.
Above the Drowning Sea has won:
Golden Dragon Award for Best Documentary, Ferrara Film Festival 2018
Best Documentary, Hamilton Film Festival 2018
Best Documentary, Sunrise Film Festival 2019
Honorable Mention, New Jersey International Film Festival 2018
Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film & Animation Festival 2019
Above the Drowning Sea has been nominated for:
Knight Award for Documentary Achievement, Miami Film Festival 2018
Best Documentary, Pasadena International Film Festival 2018
Best Cinematography for a Feature, Ferrara Film Festival 2018
Best Director of a Feature Documentary, Madrid International Film Festival 2018
Scientific and Educational Award, Madrid International Film Festival 2018
Above the Drowning Sea has been the Official Selection at:
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival 2017
Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival 2017
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival 2018
Sedona International Film Festival 2018
Charlotte Jewish Film Festival 2018
Miami Film Festival 2018
Pasadena International Film Festival 2018
James River Film Festival 2018
Ferrara Film Festival 2018
Richmond International Film Festival 2018
New Jersey International Film Festival 2018
Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival 2018
Toronto Jewish Film Festival 2018
Festival of Tolerance 2018
Madrid International Film Festival 2018
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival 2018
Columbia Jewish Film Festival 2018
Louisville International Festival of Film
Kansas International Film Festival 2018
Calgary Jewish Film Festival 2018
Heartland International Film Festival 2018
Great Lakes International Film Festival 2018
Canadian Independent Film Festival 2018
Hamilton Film Festival 2018
Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival 2019
Denver Jewish Film Festival 2019
Athens Jewish Film Festival 2019
JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival 2019
Detroit Jewish Film Festival 2019
Columbus International Film & Animation Festival 2019
