Home is the Ocean

In the infinity of the sea, far from the comfort zone, a Swiss family of eight has found their home. 

The parents set sail 25 years ago to conduct field-based research in the world’s most remote regions and inspire youth to save our planet. Along the way, their 6 children were born, all in a different corner of the world. They live together 24 hours a day in 20 square metres of living space. Seven days a week. Each family member plays an important role in this well-coordinated team. This is the only way the system works. But as their children grow up, they face new challenges and doubts.

The filmmaker accompanied the Schwörer family for seven years and documented how the Schwörers and their six children question conventional norms of upbringing, education, home and security. Until a storm forces them to rethink their life choices and family constellation.

The Schwörers, a family of eight, are the initiators of the TOPtoTOP Global Climate Expedition, a Swiss-based non-profit organisation whose mission is to inspire young people to save our planet.

Over the past 25 years, TOPtoTOP has circumnavigated our blue planet conducting field-based research for universities, scientists and research organizations, visiting the world’s most remote regions and their native inhabitants, and sharing examples of innovative solutions to protect, preserve and conserve our planet.

Dario Schwoerer, a Swiss climatologist and international ski-and mountain guide (UIAGM), contributed to the IPCC report in 2010 about the impact of climate change on mountain guiding in the Bernina region of the Swiss Alps. He experienced the fragile environment he refers to as “his office” degrading rapidly and decided to dedicate his life to educating the public on how to respect nature and protect it for future generations. Joined by his wife Sabine, they founded TOPtoTOP with the goal of being the first expedition, connecting all climates in traversing the seven seas and reaching the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, relying only on the power of nature and the human spirit.

The Schwörer’s journey in their expedition sailboat Pachamama (Inca for Mother Earth) has taken them over 100,000 nautical miles to more than 100 countries. Along the way they have made presentations on climate change to more than 100,000 students. Their message is one of hope designed to inspire students and communities to act for a better future by sharing experiences of nature’s beauty and resiliency and presenting innovations for a healthy planet.

Dario and Sabine are not alone in their efforts to engage with students. During their journey they have had six children, who along with volunteers participate in classroom presentations demonstrating that progress towards important conservation goals can be achieved in balance with nature. 

It was the children who captivated me from the start. I wanted to accompany them on their journey, as they grew up on the ship, to capture their questions and observe how they found their own way in life. Over the years, as a member of the sailing crew, I became part of their world and learned more and more about the many facets of the Schwörer family's contrasting lifestyle. This is how HOME IS THE OCEAN became a seven-year long-term project - an intimate portrait of their life in a microcosm on the boundless ocean. The film does not focus on the adventure stories of this sailing family, nor did I want to provide definitive answers. Instead, the film invites viewers to ask fundamental questions - about social structures, conventions, education, self-determination and freedom. The Schwörers' radical lifestyle may be unsettling, but it also encourages viewers to reflect on their own life choices and responsibilities.

Livia Vonaesch