About

U 977. Black & White. Surround Sound. Germany / Hungary. 81 min. 2026

Director & Producer: Nadine Poulain. Más Media Production Kft.

With excerpts from the book U 977 – 66 Day under Water by Heinz Schäffer

SYNOPSIS

U 977 retraces the extraordinary voyage of the German submarine that, at the end of World War II, refused to surrender and instead set course for Argentina, embarking on a clandestine transatlantic escape.

Drawing on surviving accounts and the written record of its commander, Heinz Schäffer, the film follows this journey through fragments of recollection.

Rendered in a formal black-and-white aesthetic, U 977 unfolds within a cinematic space shaped by silence, distance, and reflection. Moments of tension drift alongside traces of humor, as recollections of daily life aboard the submarine reveal the quiet persistence of human presence amid war.

Through testimony and memory, the film listens for what endures—how individual experience lingers within the structures of history.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Heinz Schäffer, commander of U 977, was a man whose determination and resilience have always fascinated me. As his granddaughter, this story has been part of my family history, shaping both my personal perspective and my artistic interest in the subject.

My first engagement with this story dates back to my studies at the University of the Arts London, where I created an artistic short film Bergen – Mar del Plata in response to U 977. Over time, this project evolved into a long-term exploration that ultimately led to this feature-length documentary.

At its core, U 977 explores a paradox: soldiers bound by command who, at the end of the war, chose to act as individuals in pursuit of personal freedom. The film reflects on this decision and its broader implications, questioning notions of autonomy and historical narrative. By focusing on memory and testimony, the film creates space for alternative perspectives and first-hand accounts of German World War Two veterans.

“It is simply not acceptable that all the war books are solely written from the point of view of the victors and heroes.” *

*Schäffer, Heinz (1979). U 977 – 66 Days under Water. 5th edition, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, München, p 220