Die letzte Fähre

For me the chief value of "The Last Ferry" is that it is an accurate description of the attitudes of Poles before the introduction of martial law. The film may include some scenes and hints that are not understandable for people from other countries, but it is fast-paced and includes even some elements of action cinema. So it should not be boring to anyone. The plot centers around a high school teacher, Marek Ziarno (Krzysztof Kolberger), who is trying to smuggle some secret "Solidarity" documents to Hamburg in the last days of December 1981. In Swinoujscie, Marek boards the ferry to Hamburg, but the Security Service is close at his heels. "The Last Ferry" shows the attitudes of Marek's students and his traveling companions from the ferry. I was a student during that time and can remember that we were having similar discussions at our polytechnic, so the picture in "The Last Ferry" is true. But the film is not only about attitudes, because there is some action related to the smuggling of the documents to Hamburg and the actual introduction of martial law with the ferry being ordered to turn back to Poland. Maybe the events between 1981 and 1989 gave people more hope, because the film is not at all gloomy. There is some internal power and conviction that emanates from the characters who are on the side of the "Solidarity" movement. There is also a feeling of imminent victory, even if it is not at this particular moment in time, and the film ends with an optimistic note. So watching "The Last Ferry" gave me real pleasure.