Baltic Uxo

The seabed of the Baltic Sea is blanketed with UXOs – unexploded ordnance left over from World War II. In total, 1.6 million tons of dud bombs and other munitions were disposed of in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, and now lie scattered throughout the waters. Defusing and clearing them requires systematic searching, something that takes, above all, a lot of time. The film gives itself time, whether aboard a salvage ship, on the shoreline, or gliding below the water's surface. Foregoing any voiceover, the visuals and sound design alone convey an understanding of the latent danger. Here, below the harbour cranes, there, in the channels and ship lanes – anywhere and everywhere, something dangerous could be lurking. For the crews of fishing boats, it’s an everyday part of their working reality. Clearing the waterways is a mission that unites the countries bordering the Baltic, with undersea searches ongoing in many places. A meditative journey into and around the sea, following the traces of history and its dangerous legacy.