On September 16, the Oldenburg International Film Festival will, for the first time in its history, open with a documentary: Mi Steinbach's debut »Strange Neighbors«, a non-narrative film about the unlikely coexistence of wilderness and industry on a tiny island in the Elbe.

Schwarztonnensand is not a naturally formed island: it was created in the late 1960s as a by-product of the deepening of the Elbe, when the shipping channel was widened to accommodate ever-larger cargo vessels bound for the Port of Hamburg. Barely three and a half kilometers long, the small island still lies in the middle of the Elbe's main shipping channel today.

In the shadow of the passing cargo ships, a distinct ecosystem has taken hold: white-tailed eagles, geese, and deer have made the artificially built-up land their home, just a few hundred meters from the industrial machinery that continues to shape the river.

For her debut film, Mi Steinbach spent several years exploring the island with her camera. The film dispenses entirely with narration and dialogue, relying instead on image and sound, composed by Robert Nacken and edited by Bernhard Reddig. Like Godfrey Reggio's »Koyaanisqatsi« or Nikolaus Geyrhalter's »Homo Sapiens«, »Strange Neighbors« tells its story of nature and civilization without a single word.

"On the island, I rediscovered a desire to explore the underlying patterns of the world and the relationship we have with the natural world we come from and the modern, technological world we have created," says Mi Steinbach, describing the starting point of her film.

Mi Steinbach, born in 1987, came to filmmaking by way of physics and experimental short film. »Strange Neighbors« is her feature debut. The film was funded by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

Mi Steinbach will be a guest in Oldenburg and will present her film in person.

About the Film
»Strange Neighbors« (Germany, 2026)
Director & Cinematography: Mi Steinbach
Production: Earth Cut Filmproduktion
Editing: Bernhard Reddig
Music & Sound Design: Robert Nacken
Funded by: Film- und Medienstiftung NRW
Running Time: 80 minutes