Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘23000 Lives,’ a group of young people forms to provide aid and rescue migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in wooden boats and dinghies. Discovering that the governments are stepping back from helping them, which is leading to the deaths of thousands of people, Jugend Rettet was formed. Led by Lukas Weiland, the NGO buys a crowdfunded boat called Iuventa, which is sailed into the sea to save people’s lives. Lamin, Rose, and her infant child are amongst the thousands of people saved by the Iuventa crew. While the story is real, the characters have been presented with a fictional touch. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Lamin and Rose Represent the Struggles of the Migrants
‘23000 Lives’ tells the true story of the formation of Jugend Rettet and the Iuventa crew’s humanitarian work. However, the film condenses several years’ worth of events into a two-hour movie. As a result, certain elements and characters have been fictionalized to fit the story within the film’s frame, including Lamin and Rose. In real life, the Iuventa crew reportedly saved over 14,000 people (though Jugend Rettet claims the number was close to 23,000) across about 16 missions during its year of operation. Their job was to find vessels in distress, provide them with aid, and take them to the coast to the government authorities. In doing so, the list of rescued individuals has not been made public to respect their privacy.
The film uses the characters Rose and Lamin to show the many faces of the struggles migrants face in their own country, which force them to run, and the risks they take in embarking on a perilous journey that doesn’t guarantee rescue or safety on the other end. When Lamin befriends Lukas, he reveals the story behind why he had to run away from home and how he lost his friend during a journey where he, too, would have died had the Iuventa not shown up in time. The duo later keeps in touch, and Lukas is happy to receive updates about Lamin’s life. It helps him stay connected to the good that he is doing, while wading through the trauma of the losses they bear at sea at times.
In the same vein, saving Rose and her infant child shows the crew, especially Mauro, who holds the baby while the migrants board the ship, the importance of their work. Both characters add an emotional punch to the story and serve as important plot devices in the film’s latter half. In real life, Iuventa was seized by the Italian authorities in 2017, and its crew was accused of participating in illegal migration and colluding with smugglers. The case was dismissed in 2024, with all charges against the accused dropped, and the presiding judge underlined the importance of humanitarian work. However, Rose and Lamin weren’t exactly involved as portrayed in the movie.
Real Life Refugees Appeared as the Rescued Migrants in the Movie
In the movie, the crew tracks down the migrants to serve as witnesses for the defense, proving that there was no illegal work on the boat. Lamin and Rose, among several others, are happy to help. They support Iuventa’s work while detailing their own reasons for escape from their countries and the need for rescue at sea. In real life, the case was dismissed before it ever went to trial. In fact, the prosecutor requested that the charges be dropped because there wasn’t sufficient evidence to proceed with the case. Thus, it is likely that no migrants saved by Iuventa were called upon as witnesses. If they were, their names are likely kept hidden to protect their privacy.
While Lamin and Rose are not based on real people, the filmmakers wanted to ensure that the experience of those being saved is presented just as accurately as that of those doing the saving. Instead of presenting the refugees as background characters and extras with no bearing on the storyline, they wanted their voices to be heard by presenting them as well-developed characters. To bring a touch of realism to the rescue, real refugees were cast as the survivors on the inflatable boats rescued by the Iuventa crew. Reportedly, over 200 people were needed to appear in the rescue scenes, and the filmmakers had to realistically portray the mix of emotions they experienced.
It wasn’t just about the happiness of having been saved, but also about the mental and physical exhaustion of the journey and the desperation that had pushed them to make it in the first place. So, they looked for actors who had experienced it in real life, one way or another. At the same time, the filmmakers were aware that recreating the circumstances could trigger traumatic memories. So, they made sure that all actors were well informed about what they were signing up for and provided with support if needed. They were also given the option to back out if they didn’t feel right, but, notably, everyone was ready to do so because they, too, wanted their experiences to be portrayed authentically and empathetically.
Read More: 23,000 Lives: Is Iuventa a Real Ship? Where is it Now?
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