The movie is based on the real story of 937 German Jewish refugees leaving from Hamburg in 1939, far from Nazism to Cuba. Their journey for freedom became an Odyssey on the Atlantic ocean.

Full of confidence, 937 Jewish refugees leave the port of Hamburg in 1939. Nazi Germany behind them, freedom in front of them. A visa for Cuba promises a life without fear. But Havana refuses entry. Captain Schröder sets course for the USA. Washington also refuses the "St. Louis" to call at a safe US-American port. When Canada also refuses to accept the boat, the journey is set free to the odyssey on the Atlantic Ocean. On board, the words suicide and mutiny make the rounds. Less than a month after leaving the port of Hamburg, the "St. Louis" arrives in Antwerp. Almost a third of the passengers will be murdered by the Nazis in the following years. (Source: ARD)