Screening dates & tour stops
In the far north of Germany, 23 women paddle in one boat - the Küsten Pinkies. PINK POWER tells the story of their special journey: From the home waters of Wilhelmshaven to the European Championships on the Italian Adriatic - and from a breast cancer diagnosis back to life.
Together with their trainer Yvonne, they prepare for the biggest sporting event of their lives - but the training is more than just a physical challenge. It is healing, community and a sign of strength. The Küsten Pinkies show how much strength there is in breaking new ground together. After the diagnosis, it's not the end - but a new chapter. The film accompanies the team on their journey back to themselves, side by side, stroke by stroke.
Among them are 70-year-old Konni and 43-year-old Jasmin, who were confronted with the disease at
very different stages in their lives:
Jasmin was a young mother and self-employed architect at the time of her diagnosis, while Konni was
about to retire and was working as a nurse. Both found support in the team of paddlers.
For the Küsten Pinkies, dragon boating has long been more than just therapy. They are ambitious athletes with a common goal: a place on the podium at the European Dragon Boat Championships in Ravenna, Italy. The film follows them from the North Sea coast to the Adriatic - through training sessions, setbacks and personal victories both big and small.
As part of the global ‘Pink Paddling’ movement, they use the sport to deal with the disease and its consequences both physically and emotionally. A victory in Ravenna would not only be a sporting success, but also a personal triumph over their illness.
Gunda Ammen-Eisenhauer
Yvonne Ambrosy
Sonja Bredemeier
Rita Cirpka-Gröger
Maren Conrad
Karin Dolleck-Krey
Jasmin Eilers
Anja Ernst
Manuela Fischer
Helga Garves
Konni Jürgens
Anja Lämmel
Silke Malchus
Yvonne Meyer
Angelika Niechoy
Sabine Nowak
Bettine Reimers
Christiane Rickerts
Grazyna Slabic-Flüge
Petra Stockmeyer
Tanja Triphaus
Direction
Chiara Kempers
Book
Marianna Martens & Chiara Kempers
Producer
Jan Philip Lange
Camera
Mika Völker & Chiara Kempers
Assembly
Michael Trammer & Hauke Dannenfeld
Originalton
Marianna Martens
Film music
Robin Alberding
Sounddesign & Sound mixing
Malte Lahrmann
Additional sound editing
Swantje Alter
Colour Grading
Finn Fredeweß
Graphics/Design
Alexander Papoli-Barawati
Dramaturgical consulting
Tom Littlewood
Green consulting
Robert Knörk
Technical service
MediaTV, Kollenda TV
Press & Rental
imFilm/Inka Milke
The Küsten Pinkies are a dragon boat team from Wilhelmshaven made up of women who are or have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The team was founded in 2019 by coach Yvonne Meyer, who not only created a sporting programme with her idea, but also a protected space for exchange, healing and new courage to face life.
The Küsten Pinkies meet once a week to train together on the Ems-Jade Canal. What looks like a hobby is actually much more: paddling in a dragon boat promotes lymphatic drainage, strengthens mobility and alleviates the side effects of therapy - physically verifiable. At the same time, the women experience something on the water that no therapy can replace: the feeling of not being alone.
Each of the 23 or so women has her own story - and her own way of dealing with the disease. Some are only just undergoing acute treatment, others have been cancer-free for many years. Some are loud, some are quiet. Some are ambitious, others cautious. But in the boat, they all paddle to the same beat.
Pink Paddling is an international movement in which women suffering from breast cancer join together in dragon boat teams to train together, strengthen each other and gain a new zest for life. What originally began as a medical experiment has now become a symbol of courage, solidarity and healing.
The roots of pink paddling lie in Canada. In 1996, sports physician Dr Don McKenzie and a dragon boat team of breast cancer patients challenged the widespread assumption at the time that intensive physical activity - especially in the upper body - was harmful after breast cancer treatment. The opposite was proven: Paddling improves mobility, promotes lymphatic drainage, prevents late effects such as lymphoedema and boosts general well-being.
What counts in dragon boating is togetherness - everyone is in the same boat, in the truest sense of the word. The powerful, rhythmic paddling movements not only promote endurance, coordination and muscle strength, but also emotional strength. Training on the water, often in nature, has a calming effect on body and mind and helps to regain confidence in one's own body. For many sufferers, paddling becomes a firm anchor - during and after therapy.
There are now numerous pink paddling teams in Germany, including the Küsten Pinkies from Wilhelmshaven, who are portrayed in the documentary film PINK POWER. As the oldest and youngest paddlers in the boat, Konni and Jasmin are representative of how diverse the stories and life paths are within this movement. What unites them is the power of community - and the will to surpass themselves.
Pink Paddling not only stands for sporting activity, but also for empowerment, solidarity and healing in action. Especially in October, International Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Pinktober), the movement makes visible worldwide how strong women can be in the fight against cancer.
JUNIFILM GmbH
Jan Philip Lange
Limmerbrunnen 11
30453 Hannover
