Ein sicherer Hafen

The best thing about this dud of an Australian mini series is the acting. But how the actors got through this ridiculous script is a mystery. Implausible from start to finish - what boat is unable to send a distress call these days? Mind numbingly politically correct and yet lacking any sympathetic characters or authenticity this 'thriller' fails to thrill on any level.

We don't get to see to many Australian dramas in the UK the ones I have seen have been somewhat mixed. But I did enjoy screen Australia's Safe Harbour. Four parts long it tells the story of a group of friends on a sailing trip who come across a group of stranded boat refugees trying to make there way for a better life in Australia.

Taking away the plot holes and implausibility of the story it does at least ask the question what would you do in the same circumstances? They decide to tow the ship to Australia. What follows is how the lives of the people on both boats have been affected 5 years later by the actions of one person.

The subject of refugees a relevant one in all westernised countries right now, and whatever your thoughts on Safe Harbour as a one off drama are, it does at least raise the question what would happen if the decision is left to members of the public as opposed to governments.

This mini series is a beautifully made reminder of human power of forgiveness and developing self-consistency. It delivers a very important message: focus on what you have and not on the past and what you've lost. Moving on isn't easy after traumatic incidents like the ones depicted in this series, but once you face the facts and settle things up in your head you'll be able to move forward. Grudge only deepens your hurt feelings and makes daily life harder.

What bothered me as an Arabic native speaker is the actors speaking Arabic in this show, they kinda strive hard to speak the language; I wish they had only spoken English since many scenes in Arabic sounded a bit inauthentic, especially when it's very obvious that each one speaks different accent despite being one family that all of its members came from the same place, Iraq.

7.0/10

Five years before the events depicted in this drama a group of five Australian friends enjoyed a sailing holiday in the seas south of Indonesia. Then they came across a boat overloaded with refugees hoping to cross to Australia; after some discussion they decided to give them a tow. In the present Ryan Gallagher, the boat's skipper, meets Ismail Al-Bayati, one of the refugees, who is now a Brisbane taxi driver, and invites him and his family to dinner. It soon becomes clear that the Australians hadn't towed the refugees back to Australia. They are accused of cutting the tow rope during the night and abandoning the refugees, leading to the death of Ismail's sick daughter.

As events unfold questions are raised... did one of the people on the yacht cut the rope, and if so who? Or was it cut by one of the refugees when they realised that the yacht was in fact towing them towards Indonesia as a storm approached. The pressure rises further when the police start an investigation and truths start to emerge.

This was an impressive four part drama. I raises interesting moral questions that has the viewer wondering what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation to the five sailors. There is a good sense of mystery as we wonder who cut the rope and the finger of suspicion moves from one character to another. If there I have one complaint it is that the identity of the person who cut the rope is revealed at the end of the third episode leading to a rather melodramatic finale. The cast does a solid job bringing the various characters to life and making the dilemma seem real. Overall I'd say this is well worth watching.

I have now watched all 3 episodes and it is getting worse every week. I think the acting is mediocre, special effects and music over the top.

Of course the Australian critics will rave about it as that is what they do, but it does not measure up to some of the BBC thrillers. They have good story telling, drama without excess and believable actors.

As usual Screen Australia have supported a product that should have been rejected, good story, terrible production. Music, acting , lighting, special effects all badly executed.