NDR / nordmedia, 2012, 45 minutes
Olaf is a member of a dying species. He is an Elbe fisherman and sets his nets in Hamburg harbour or in the Schlei estuary. You can count the number of people who still adhere to this strenuous outdoor practice on the fingers of one hand. What, and how much Olaf catches is dependent on the season, the weather and the tides. In spring its herring, then the eels and the flounder arrive and in autumn it’s the turn of the mitten crabs, zander and cod. Olaf’s decision to be his own boss, and accept all the risks and uncertainties that come with it, was a very conscious one. He has to be versatile to survive as a fisherman. He smokes trout, flounder and eels, and sells them at the Hamburg Fish Market.
Marco too, has chosen self-employment in the open air. The young man from Wendland has been running his haulage business for three years now. With his two cart horses he pulls felled trees out of the woods. In contrast to heavy machines, the horses’ hoofs don’t damage the fragile, springy undergrowth on the woodland floor – and no machine invented is able to weave through the trees with the agility of a horse. In order to survive financially, Marco must also show versatility. He offers rides in his horse-drawn carriage and takes children on excursions in the woods. His wife Antje uses the heavy houses in riding therapy – with pleasing results. The couple have two children and live together with Marco’s parents in a pleasant, multi-generation collective
Olaf and Marco are not only bound by their self-dependence and love of working outdoors. They both feel responsible for the nature that supports their very existence, and are prepared to work to sustain and protect it.