Everything started on June 24, 2016, when Paul Marques Duarte and Blandine Jet participated in the Pitch session of the Côté Court festival in Pantin, to present the project to an audience of film buffs and production professionals. The script was not written yet, it was then to share the first ideas of the film. The following day, during the closing ceremony of the festival, Christophe Taudière (France 2, national TV) awarded "Harbor" with the Best Film Project Award, and with a purchase by the channel. It was a great springboard to start writing, with a first funding in hand.
Setting the action on a ferryboat was very challenging and probably the most complex part of the project. On one hand because it was hard to organize a film shooting on a transport boat, where hundreds of passengers were travelling every day. The marine crew follows very strict rules, getting a team of fifty people in their way was not a thin case! On the other hand, because the film was shot in March, during strong storms. The film crew found themselves tossed on this giant of the seas, stuck in a regular movement that made them seasick. It was very intense, very physical, but Paul Marques Duarte (director) often says it contributed to the strong atmosphere of the film.
In 2015, Paul Marques Duarte was involved in the refugees camp of Calais with a collective of filmmakers fighting for the migrants' rights. He met a young Sudanese boy who had no family left and was desperately trying to go to England where he had an uncle. Paul Marques Duarte was moved by his determination and quickly became friend with him. After a few weeks, Paul's family decided to offer him the possibility to live with them in France for a couple months. They all became very close and soon went on the legal proceedings so he could stay in France. After this life-changing experience, it felt necessary for Paul to make a film about this subject.