Stromboli, zwischen Feuer und Meer

Why do people voluntarily live at the foot of an active volcano? Stromboli Island, the small islet off the coast of southern Italy, is home to just about 300 people. They are artists, farmers, mountain guides - but mainly fishermen. To this day, Stromboli is fished sustainably, almost without technical aids. There is hardly any profit to be made, but the fishermen here enjoy their self-determined lives and seem to be completely removed from the modern consumer world. Most young people leave their homeland at some point, they want to seek their fortune elsewhere, make a career. But there are still young people who are attracted to the modest life on the island, just like in the classic film of the same name by Roberto Rossellini, starring Ingrid Bergman. Is it because of some kind of magic that emanates from Stromboli's volcano? After more than ten years, 22-year-old Andrea Cusolito has returned to the island of his birth. After years with his mother in Germany, he now wants to learn the tricks of sustainable fishing from his almost 70-year-old father. Gaetano, a Stromboli fisherman through and through, hopes that Andrea will decide to live permanently on Stromboli. Can he convey the magic of the island to his son? The fishermen's work is hard, their income moderate. They are extremely dependent on the weather, moreover, the volcano above rumbles menacingly every few minutes. As recently as 2019, there was a huge eruption that even killed a man. Is such an existence really attractive? While Andrea is still struggling with the decision, volcanologists like Giovanni Giuffrida are keeping a close eye on the activity of Fire Mountain. How much danger does it currently pose? The scientist is faced with a daring task: he will climb the active volcano himself and install new measuring equipment - a mission for which he needs not only courage, but also the right timing and a lot of luck.