Tete, a small time crook living by the motto “money is all that matters”, buys a freighter anchored in Rotterdam and dreams of getting rick quick. His plan soon collapses when he discovers that he has been swindled and that the freighter, complete with a hungry and unpaid crew, has been impounded by customs and is unable to leave port. Matters become worse when his girlfriend falls for the ships mate but, in the face of adversity, Tete discovers his moral compass and launches a rescue mission to lead his men to freedom.

Director Paula van der Oest was awarded the Osaka City Young Cinema Prize at the 1997 Osaka European Film Festival for her debut feature Another Mother, before going on to receive an American Academy Award nomination for Zus and Zo. Tete’s voyage has been particularly noted for the atmospheric, moving score by composer Fons Merkies.