15-year-old Saeed from Afghanistan took a boat in Izmir to come to Europe. Just off the Turkish coast, Saeed strands on a Greek island called Tilos. Fleeing a traumatic past, he is catapulted into a community with only 400 inhabitants – and one bus.
Saeed soon discovers that he is not the only one looking for a new home here. The passengers on THE ISLAND BUS come from over a dozen countries, and also have stories of dislocation to tell. This warm-hearted documentary adds an Aegean twist to the eternal question of how to be happy no matter what.
Behind The Scenes
Lots of sheep, bees wax and chats in the alleyways were involved in the making of this warmhearted observational documentary. It is Sibylle Meder’s first feature film as a director. She first had the idea for the filmic community portrait while being herself a passenger on Tilos’s only bus.
Originally intended to equally interweave the stories of several of the island’s inhabitants, things took a different turn when during the filming of a first trailer, Saeed’s boat arrived. It was soon clear, that Saeed would become the main character with whom we experience what it is like to find your feet in a small island community.
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