What would possess a German-born filmmaker to venture into the mysterious beyond of the forgotten borough of New York City to create a documentary about a women’s bathroom aboard a New York commuter vessel?

The answer will be clear after you've seen “Ferry Tales”, the latest film by Katja Esson. This 40 minute documentary is a sneak peek into the hearts and minds of the women of the Staten Island Ferry Powder Room.

In July of 2001, Katja Esson decided to create a sort of ‘working-girl’ documentary about the women who occupy the ladies bathroom on the ferry each and every morning. Coming up with a concept was simple enough, but trying to gain the confidence of these women and filming them in their element was quite another matter.

Then, just as production was getting underway, the tragic events of September 11 happened. At first, Katja felt she would have to scrap the project altogether. Instead, she kept filming. The resulting footage shows just how strong a sense of community exists between the many different women in the powder room.

In January 2004 Ferry Tales was nominated as one of three documentaries for the Oscars®.

Acquired by HBO immediately after the 2002 IFP Market, Ferry Tales premieres on CINEMAX in September 2004.