The
Crossing
Twenty-two hours between continents. A ferry from Tunis to Marseille. Two storytellers and the Mediterranean they share.
A passage between worlds
Every week, the Danielle Casanova slips out of Tunis harbour at dusk and sets a course for Marseille. Twenty-two hours later, the North African coast has dissolved into the Provencal shoreline. In between: nothing but sea, sky, and the quiet rhythm of a ship in transit.
This is the oldest route across the Mediterranean - a passage that Phoenicians, Romans, and traders have followed for three thousand years. The ferry is a time machine, a floating border town where languages blur, cargo holds carry the continent's trade, and the deck at dawn offers a view that has not changed since Homer described it.
Our film begins at the gangway in Tunis and ends at the mouth of the Vieux-Port. In between, it captures a world in miniature: the crew working through the night, the galley preparing meals for four hundred passengers, the engine room pulsing five decks below, and the infinite horizon that separates and connects two shores.
Hours at sea
Kilometers
Years of history
The storytellers
Two old friends. One is a secular nomad who has been on the road for two years. The other is a future priest with a Hollywood past. Together they are taking the slow route between continents.
Jackson Fall
Creative Director & Designer
Jackson has been traveling full-time for two years. No home base, no return date. He moves through the world with a camera and a notebook, documenting whatever is in front of him - bus stations, border crossings, ferry decks, the faces of people in transit. He has a deep, visceral relationship with the road: the exhaustion of it, the solitude, the moments of unexpected grace. On this crossing he directs, shoots, and builds the visual story from the raw material of the journey itself.
Rob Long
Writer & Producer
Rob spent decades in Hollywood - a writer and producer on Cheers and other major shows, building stories inside the machine and learning how narrative really works. Now he is in seminary school training to be a priest. He is trading one kind of storytelling for another, but the instinct is the same: watching people, listening to how they talk, finding the thing they mean but do not say. On this crossing he writes the long-form essay, shapes the documentary arc, and brings the patience of someone who has spent years learning to sit still and pay attention.
What we bring back
Four distinct pieces, each built from the same 22 hours of raw material. Together they form a complete portrait of the crossing.
Mini-documentary
A cinematic short documentary following the full 22-hour crossing. From the bustle of Tunis harbour to the approach to Marseille at dawn. Interviews with crew, passengers, and port workers. A portrait of a route that has carried travellers for millennia.
Social reels
Ten short-form videos optimized for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Each reel captures a single moment from the crossing: the galley at service, the engine room at night, the deck at first light. Designed to build anticipation and reach new audiences.
Long-form essay
A narrative essay written aboard the crossing. Rob's reflections on the suspended time of a ferry journey, the characters who make their lives on this route, and what it means to travel between two worlds in the space of a single night.
Photo journal
A curated collection of 40-50 still images from the crossing. Jackson's documentary photography, ranging from wide Mediterranean landscapes to intimate portraits of the crew. Published as a digital companion to the film.
The ask
We are seeking a partnership with CTN and Corsica Linea to tell the story of your route. In exchange for access and support, you get a permanent documentary asset that showcases the unique character of the Tunis-Marseille crossing.
This is not a corporate video. It is a piece of cinematic storytelling that positions the crossing as one of the great Mediterranean journeys.
- Ownership of all footage for marketing & brand use
- Named title sponsor in all published materials
- Dedicated social media content highlighting the route
- Co-branded premiere event (online or in-port)
- A permanent documentary asset for your website and channels
Complimentary passage
Cabin accommodation for crew of 4 (Tunis-Marseille-Tunis)
Full filming access
Bridge, Engine Room, Galley, passenger & crew areas
Sponsorship contribution
$15,000 toward production costs
Budget & timeline
A lean, focused production designed to maximize every hour aboard.
Budget
Total: $45,000
Production timeline
September 15-22, 2026
Arrival Tunis
Travel day. Crew assembles in Tunis. Evening pre-light at the port.
Departure
Board Danielle Casanova. Shoot departure, harbour, and first evening aboard.
At sea
Full day aboard. Crew interviews, engine room, galley, passenger life. Night crossing shoot.
Arrival Marseille
Arrive Marseille dawn. Shoot port arrival, disembarkation, Vieux-Port. Return crossing.
Return crossing
Second leg. B-roll, pick-up shots, interviews. Evening arrival Tunis.
Wrap & debrief
Equipment return, location close-out, production debrief.
Ready to come aboard?
We are looking for partners who understand that a ferry crossing is more than transport - it is a story waiting to be told. If that sounds like you, we would love to talk.
Jackson Fall + Rob Long · hello@thecrossing.media
The Crossing