Above the Drowning Sea

2017 · 98 min · Documentary

A documentary about Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe who, at a time when all doors were closed to them, found sanctuary in Shanghai, thanks to the intervention of Chinese diplomat Ho Feng Shan who as Chinese consul in Vienna defied the Nazis and his own government by issuing travel visas to the desperate refugees. The film tells the story from the point of view of the refugees and the Chinese people who sheltered them. In light of today's refugee crisis, an inspiring poetic tale about two peoples who found common cause and dignity in a world in chaos.

Directed by René Balcer