The highly anticipated Danish piracy drama, Kapringen (aka ‘A Hijacking’), premiered in Denmark over the weekend to rave reviews after a world premiere in Venice earlier this month and additional showings at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film, directed by Tobias Lindholm, is a psychological drama that tackles the surge in of piracy off the coast of Somalia and its effects on crews, shipowners, family’s, and even pirates. But, if you’re looking action flick about Somalia piracy, you’re going to have to look elsewhere.
“It’s a European hijacking drama and a negotiation drama, and there’s a lot more psychological violence than real action,” Lindholm told Reuters in an interview. “The message is to try to show how complicated the situation is, and how far from cliche it is,” Lindholm added. “Nobody is really the villain. Everybody is doing the best they can, even the pirates.”
The film takes place on board the MV Rozen which is heading for harbor when it is boarded and hijacked by Somali pirates. Amongst the men onboard are the ship’s cook Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk) and the chief engineer Jan (Roland Møller) who, along with the rest of the crew, are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. The pirates requirement for the ship’s company are clear: $ 15 million for the MV Rozen and it’s crew. From there the psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of a shipping company (played by Søren Malling), who is trying to negotiate a lower ransom while maintaining the safety of the crew, and the Somali pirates.
Although fictional and low-budget, the film was created with authenticity in mind. ‘A Hijacking’ was shot on location in the Indian Ocean on board the cargo ship MV Rozen. Lindholm and his film team recruited Somalis from Mombasa to play the pirates, along with real sailors, who had themselves fallen victim to Somali pirates, to play crew members. The film crew also hired a real-life security chief from a Danish shipping company to act as chief negotiator in the film. If the ship, MV Rozen, strikes a familiar chord it should. The Rozen itself and a crew of 12 fell victim to Somali pirates in 2007 after unloading food aid and equipment UN World Food Programme.
William Tillman was the first black hero of the American Civil War. He was not a soldier but rather a 27-year-old cook-steward on the schooner S.J. Waring. Here is his...
When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, it faced a shortage of merchant mariners. With supplies in desperate needs overseas a massive sealift would require not...
gCaptain (Editorial) A new bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will provide cities with $10 Billion to remove highways from crowded cities but what will replace them? Electric...
February 8, 2021
Total Views: 16531
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.