The Italian ‘refugee island’ of Lampedusa is in the firm grip of winter’s sadness. The tourists have left, the remaining refugees fight to be taken to the mainland. As a fire destroys the worn-out ferry that connects the island to Italy, the mayor Giusi Nicolini and the local fishermen struggle to get a new ship. This tiny community at the edge of Europe is engaged in a desperate struggle for solidarity with those who many consider the cause of the ongoing crisis: the African boat people.