Drama series “Unwanted”: It’s a matter of life and death on this cruise ship

Drama series “Unwanted”
It’s a matter of life and death on this cruise ship

Fiction meets reality: While top German politicians are fighting for new rules in asylum policy, a new Sky original production revolves around the human fate behind it: a series that aims to make people “never see migrants the same way again they have done so far,” explains director Oliver Hirschbiegel (65) about his project “Unwanted”. The series has been running on demand since November 3rd on Sky Atlantic and on the streaming service Wow.

That’s what “Unwanted” is about

The Cruise ship Orizzonte is sailing on the Mediterranean, where the 5,000 European guests on board are reveling in luxury. Already on the first night at sea, reality catches up with the vacationers on their supposedly carefree journey. The ship rescues 28 African migrants from the Mediterranean, survivors of a shipwreck that killed more than 100 people. When the survivors learn that the Orizzonte is heading back to Libya – the place from which they fled – the situation escalates. “On board the Orizzonte, humanity and cruelty, tolerance and racism, hope and grief, life and ultimately death inevitably collide,” it says about the eight-part drama series.

Stars in front of and behind the camera

“Unwanted” is inspired by the book “Bilal” by investigative journalist Fabrizio Gatti (57), who reports on his experiences during his journey along the Sahara routes. There, refugees from Africa meet human traffickers who try to make a business out of the migrants’ misery. Oliver Hirschbiegel explains that after reading the book, he wanted to use the series to try to make the commonly overlooked “invisibles” visible, “by giving them a face, a voice and biographies that are relatable to viewers around the world.” . The German director is known for films such as “Downfall”, “Diana” and “Five Minutes of Heaven”.

“Unwanted” was written and created by Stefano Bises. The acting stars Marco Bocci (45) and Jessica Schwarz (46) shine in the main roles. Barbara Auer (64), Sylvester Groth (65) and Jonathan Berlin (29) are also there.

Since November 3rd, “Unwanted” has been shown in double episodes on Sky Atlantic every Friday at 8:15 p.m. and can also be accessed at the same time on Sky Q and on the streaming service Wow.

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