Theo, 11yo, sets off on his first expedition on the family fishing boat Simshar together with his father, grandfather and a Malian migrant worker. Disaster strikes when a fire breaks out onboard, leaving the crew stranded in open water. Meanwhile, tensions run high when a Turkish vessel rescues African migrants between Malta and the Italian island of Lampedusa, with neither country willing to allow disembarkation. Alex, a Maltese doctor sent on the ship against his will to provide medical care, gets caught up in the diplomatic dispute and is forced to remain onboard. His friend in the national armed forces, John, tries to get Alex back to land whilst assisting with the search for the missing Simshar. Theo’s mother Sharin desperately rallies the local community into conducting their own search. The deadlock at sea is finally resolved, and the migrants are taken in by Italy. Meanwhile, by the time the floating Simshar crew is located by the fishing community there is only one survivor…
