The Belem

Synopsis

The Belem? Everybody knows it. The ‘Trois mats’, last of the great commercial French sailing boats of the 19th century still navigating, is a remarkable witness to French maritime history. A merchant ship, a pleasure boat, and today a shipping school, its noble allure traverses the centuries, and its functions never cease to evolve. It is astonishing that there has been so little documented regarding daily life aboard the Belem; the way the crew live day by day, the intimate ties they have with their boat and the transmission of wisdom they are responsible for. For ten days we follow these sixteen men, as they sail the boat alone or guide apprentices from all around the world…