“Days become months, months become years… and no ship is coming.” “67° NORD” is a quiet, melancholic animated short about waiting — not for something specific, but for any sign of life to appear on the horizon. Jouris, an elderly and physically fragile man of small stature, lives alone on a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean. The wooden beams of the tower seem as if they could collapse at any moment, yet they continue to resist the forces of nature, just as Jouris himself does. Each day follows the same ritual: standing at the window, watching the sea, hoping to see a ship — and hoping, above all, to be seen in return. Time stretches endlessly. Days become months, months turn into years. No ship ever arrives. Only an old, limping crow visits the lighthouse each evening, stopping briefly before disappearing again into the vastness. Jouris remains at the window until the sun meets the horizon and night closes in — until a sudden storm finally breaks the stillness and changes everything. Told almost entirely without dialogue, 67° NORD relies on atmosphere, pacing, and visual restraint to convey emotion. The endless ocean, the confined interior of the lighthouse, and the slow repetition of days mirror Jouris’ inner world. Rather than dramatizing loneliness, the film allows it to settle quietly, asking the viewer to experience the weight of time, isolation, and endurance. At its core, 67° NORD is a meditation on solitude and persistence — on how long a person can wait, unseen, before something finally gives way. Film Information: • Genre: Animation, Drama • Production Year: 2009 • Country of Production: Germany • Logline: Alone in a lighthouse far out at sea, an elderly man waits endlessly for a ship that never arrives — until a storm disrupts his isolation. • Synopsis: Jouris lives in solitude inside an aging lighthouse, spending his days watching the ocean for signs of life. Years pass in silence, marked only by the visit of a lone crow. As time wears on and hope slowly erodes, a violent storm forces Jouris to confront the fragile balance between endurance and collapse. Summary: 67° NORD explores the emotional weight of waiting and the quiet erosion of time. Rather than focusing on dramatic events, the film lingers on repetition — days that pass unchanged and gestures that slowly lose meaning. Jouris does not actively search for connection; he simply endures, holding on to the hope that one day something might appear on the horizon. The lighthouse serves as both refuge and confinement, protecting Jouris from the elements while isolating him from the world beyond. Through restrained animation, muted colors, and minimal dialogue, the filmmakers allow atmosphere and silence to carry the emotional weight. The result is a film that asks the viewer to sit with uncertainty — to feel time passing, hope persisting, and solitude deepening. Festivals & Awards 🏆 Major Awards & Honors: ● Winner – Best Animated Student Film, SIGMAD 2009  International Animation Festival Madrid (Spain) ● Winner – Best Animated Film, ZOOM 2010  International Film Festival Jelenia Góra (Poland) ● Second Prize – Audience Award, Kurzfilmabend Erlangen 2010 (Germany) Official Selections / Screenings (Partial List): ● Animated Dreams – International Animation Film Festival Tallinn (Estonia) ● Anim’est – International Animation Film Festival Bucharest (Romania) ● In the Palace – International Film Festival Balchik (Bulgaria) ● European Short Film Festival, Massachusetts (USA) ● Bornshorts – International Short Film Festival Bornholm Island (Denmark) ● Efemka – European Cinema Youth Festival Warsaw (Poland) ● Filmfest Osnabrück (Germany) ● Regensburger Kurzfilmwoche – Short Film Week Regensburg (Germany) Credits: • Music & Sound: Stefan J. Wühr • Title Design: Mirjam Schwarz • VFX (Smoke & Fire): Michael Göbel • Motion Capture Actor: Thomas Witte • Motion Capture Studio: Gotoxy AV-Media GbR • Mentors: Prof. Jürgen Schopper, Prof. Burkard Vetter “67° NORD” (2009) Created by Ildikó Dietrich, Benjamin Haagen, Mariya Hristova, Marco Ringler & Thomas Schienagel Official website: http://www.67gradnord.de