Rescue

Sine Plambech

Documentary

Already released · Limited Jun 25, 2026 (GB)

Programme: TIFF Docs
Year: 2026
Runtime: 90 min
Country: Denmark, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Iceland
Language: Arabic / English / German / Italian
Premiere: World Premiere
In cinemas: Jun 25, 2026 (GB)

As the full-scale war in Ukraine forces millions to flee, rescuers move in the opposite direction - toward destroyed villages, active shelling, and mined roads - to save animals left behind when humans are forced to escape.

From the TIFF programme

Director Sine Plambech (Heartbound, TIFF ’18) documents the kidnapping of a mother and her long quest to be reunited with her husband, illuminating a mass crisis experienced by migrants in the Mediterranean.

Rescue opens with a harrowing abduction in the waters of the Mediterranean close to the Libyan coast. Director Sine Plambech and her film crew are accompanying the Geo Barents, a rescue ship operated by Doctors Without Borders that’s trying to save a rubber boat packed with migrants in distress. Suddenly, a third vessel approaches, piloted by Libyan militia members. During a frantic scramble in the open water, some migrants are snatched by the militias, while others reach the Geo Barents. One of the rescued migrants, Hani, tells the film crew he has just been separated from his family. His wife Roro, his young son, and their two-month old daughter have been kidnapped by the militia.

That’s the start of an epic journey that Plambech continues to film over several months. The militias hold captives for ransom, while the European Union quietly funnels billions of euros to North African countries to halt migration. Normally, these tragedies take place beyond the reach of cameras. But in this case, Roro has managed to hide a cell phone in her baby’s diaper and is able to share what’s happening to her with Hani, who never gives up believing they can be reunited.

The story is so dramatic that you frequently need to remind yourself that it’s a documentary. That’s a credit to Plambech, who has honed her skills as an anthropologist and filmmaker over many years, and works here with an elite team. We are in their debt for the revelations that take place.

THOM POWERS