Denmark 99 mins
A Danish tanker is taken by Somali pirates as it crosses the Indian Ocean, holding the small crew hostage. Mikkel (Pilou Asbaek) is the ship’s cook, and with an ill captain, he is used by the pirate in the lengthy negotiations with the CEO, Peter Ludvigsen (Soren Malling) of the shipping company.
Despite it being a relatively short feature-length film, every moment of the weeks and weeks was felt acutely. The desperation and the despair, the lack of any sense of control. It was harrowing. I found it particularly interesting that the film covered not only the events on the ship, but the people at the shipping company as they attempt to follow the advice of a negotiator experienced with working Somali pirates. There is no Hollywood to this film and no heroes. It just feels real.
A Hijacking screens at Greater Union on Sunday, July 28 at 1:30pm, Wednesday July 31 at 9pm and at The Forum Theatre on Thursday, August 8 at 4pm. To book tickets, visit http://miff.com.au/
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