In the Light of the Sands

The barrier island of Scharhörn lies in Heligoland Bay. Apart from breeding migratory birds, passing container ships, and flotsam, there's nothing there but a small hut on stilts. Director Kilian Helmbrecht spent seven months here, observing, collecting, and counting birds. Contact with the outside world was rare. Groceries are delivered every now and then, or the bird warden from the neighbouring island – a friend of his – gets in touch by radio for a chat. Despite carefully controlled visitor numbers, human influence is a constant presence, and as in so many places, the Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park and its biodiversity are threatened by climate change and the industrial exploitation of the sea. With impressive landscape shots and sound design, Kilian Helmbrecht succeeds in capturing not only the beauty of this rugged idyll, but also the loneliness and melancholy brought on by the threat of its loss. In addition to his wanderings, he speaks via video with Wadden Sea experts, thereby creating a snapshot of a place through the lens of time.