Die lange Fahrt der Graf Goetzen: Von Papenburg nach Afrika

Today the steamer is called "Liemba" and is probably the oldest regularly operating liner in the world. Its original owners named it after the German Africa explorer Graf von Goetzen. The ship was commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1913 to support German protection troops in the African colonies. It made its way from the Ems to Lake Tanganyika in what was then the colony of German East Africa in 5,000 crates by ship, rail and even on foot. There, three Papenburg engineers assembled the ship and received a "tropical surcharge" for it. And when the First World War broke out, "Graf Goetzen" even presented itself as a gunboat. The film describes the eventful and sometimes involuntarily funny story of this floating museum piece from the perspective of people whose lives were or are fatefully linked to the ship: Germans, Belgians, Britons, Tanzanians. A piece of colonial history and a journey through recent Tanzanian history, maybe a touch of "Fitzcarraldo".

Directed by Stephan Lamby, Die lange Fahrt der Graf Goetzen: Von Papenburg nach Afrika leans on a strong ensemble — Michael Lumsden — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about history titles of 2004.