A documentary following the lives of 4 seamen (a Swede, a Croat, a Polynesian, and a Nigerian) in the brief period as they wait in the Rotterdam port, which at the time of filming was the largest port in the world, to return to sea. While all men come from different parts of the globe and have different jobs on board their ships, they all share the financial and relational pressures caused by the rise of globalization.

A crew of enthusiasts sets out in a monoxyl, a vessel carved from a tree trunk, on a journey across the Aegean Sea. Their goal is to verify how the first farmers could have traveled from Asia Minor to Europe 9,000 years ago. The documentary reveals new facts about ancient European history.

Stanley Kubrick's first feature made in color. Lost for over 40 years! The documentary extolls the benefits of membership to the Seafarers International Union.