DONAU, DUNAJ, DUNA, DUNAV, DUNAREA

"Donau, Duna, Dunaj, Dunav, Dunarea" are the names emblazoned upon the old barge that floats down the river on its last voyage. The variety of names on display speaks of the diversity of the region through which the boat passes on its 2,000 kilometre long journey: starting in Vienna it passes through Bratislava, Budapest, Novi Sad and Belgrade, then along the Romanian-Bulgarian border until it finally reaches the mouth of the river on the Romanian Black Sea coast.

On his sentimentally charged farewell voyage the old captain Franz experiences things he could never have imagined. In Vienna eighteen-year-old Bruno boards the ship. With him he brings a highly unusual piece of cargo: a coffin with the mortal remains of his mother Mara. It was her wish to find her final resting place by the Iron Gate on the Danube, located just below Belgrade. In fact Bruno sees the father he never had in the old sea dog, Franz meanwhile is reminded of his childhood sweetheart, who was also called Mara... And the other characters on board are just as varied as the countries through which the Danube winds: Mathilde the drug addict, Mircea the illegal immigrant, Tanja the ship's cook and the Gypsy couple from Romania with their baby.

The film is a typical road movie, on water. A director's homage to the many different cultures along the second longest river in Europe.