The idea that cruise ships can be a great vehicle to tell many stories is nothing new. The 70s brought us the “Love Boat” and the German “Traumschiff” is still sailing the world. Nowadays, cruise ships aren’t considered luxurious anymore, they are typical vacations and often tailored to specific target groups. Like the “Gay Cruise” in which Tristan Ferland Milewski sets his TV co-produced documentary DREAM BOAT. The director focuses on a handful of protagonists out of the 3000 gay men on the ship. The not-quite-so-young Frenchman Philippe is in a wheelchair, Ramzi had to flee to Europe from Palestine because of his homosexuality, Austrian photographer Martin is HIV positive, Dipankar from India hasn’t been outed yet and stands out because of his skin color and figure. They are interesting and unconventional biographies, and brawny Pole Marek surprises with his charming self-reflection. Unfortunately, DREAM BOAT mostly floats on the surface. The occasional attempts of letting the strangers interact seem forced, and you rarely find out how they feel during their vacation. There are many questions that could have made the documentary more interesting . What else is in the program besides parties and fitness? Who are the people behind the scenes of the cruise? And especially: where is this journey taking them?

Patrick Heidmann

Translation: Elinor Lewy