Red Star Line

The Belgian shipping company Red Star Line carried more than 2 million migrants from Antwerp to New York between 1873 and 1934. Most of them were Eastern Europeans who had left their homes and their families due to war and poverty. After a long and exhausting journey they would reach America. Yet before they could even begin with their new life across the ocean, they first had to be examined at Ellis Island. Only healthy people were allowed to step on American soil.

The documentary series presents a mosaic of human migration stories. The series is based on taped interviews with more than 2000 people who talk about the most important journey of their life. Together with the descendants, we discover the stunning stories of these Red Star Line passengers. We get to know why exactly they left their country, how they survived this difficult journey and how they tried to build a new life in the United States.