Improvisational fiction short, 20′, 2024

LOGLINE

A young Ukrainian fulfils his dream of working on board a container ship, but the war at home and the dangers on board turn his coming of age into a crucial test.

DIRECTORS NOTE

Fire Drill tells a raw story about growing up and finding hope. 

The film is improvisational fiction, shot amidst the ongoing operations of a container ship. It features real seafarers as first-time actors alongside a professional cast.
During preproduction, I travelled on container ships for several months, engaging with daily routines and interviewing crew members.

The aim was to capture the broad experiences of seafarers. Having worked as a shipping operator myself, I was driven to showcase this often-overlooked but vital part of the global supply chain.

During my last research trip aboard a ship, the Russian invasion of Ukraine occurred. I was among sailors directly affected by the conflict – a brutal war being waged against people, who just want to live like we do. Their struggles profoundly impacted me and significantly influenced the narrative of this film.

In Fire Drill, we see the ship through the eyes of a young Ukrainian man on his first voyage, determined to persevere and shape his life despite the war’s devastating impacts back home.

MAIN CAST

CADET
Arthur Aliiev

ABLE SEAMAN
John Ramon Bayoneta Duropan

ABLE SEAMAN
Robert Gil Loresto Gemora

ABLE SEAMAN
Edmark Dela Pena Estuya

BOSUN
Nelson Gonzaga Nayre

COOK
John Ezekiel Horneja Tan

MASTER
Artem Rybkin

CHIEF OFFICER
Sergei Savchenko

2ND OFFICER
Britan Viacheslav

CHIEF ENGINEER
Sergiy Kuznetsov

2ND ENGINEER
Petro Danchuk

ORDINARY SEAMAN
Robinson Matias Montes

OILER
Ernesto Dimaano Ramirez

AND FEATURING
Halyna Dzhun

CREW

DIRECTOR & SCREENWRITER
Maximilian Villwock

PRODUCER
Cléo Laetitia Campe

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Marco Müller

GAFFER & 1ST AC
Marek Lück

EDITOR
Anna-Lena Engelhardt

COMPOSER
Lukas Meinardus
Oscar Valentin Zöllner
Richard Meyer

SOUND DESIGN SUPERVISOR
Oscar Valentin Zöllner

SOUND DESIGNER
Eva Perhacova

SOUND MIXING
Till Aldinger

SOUND RECORDIST
Simon Ferber

FOLEY ARTIST
Joh Weisgerber

FOLEY ENGINEER
Anna Von Hammerstein

FOLEY PRODUCTION
Schaltgeraete Studios Gmbh

COLORIST
Jonny Thorpe

PRODUCERS GLASSWORKS
Bella Baillie
Andrew Patrick

POST PRODUCTION STUDIO
Glassworks Vfx

GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Johnny Lee

CULTURAL ADVISOR & TRANSLATOR
Kristina Karabelesch

TRANSLATOR
Valeria Lukianets
Tara Illenberger

DRIVER
Borislav Salatino
Houssam Ibrahim