The Captain and His Pirate

In 2009, German freighter ‘Hansa Stavangar’ was captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia. Two men from vastly different worlds recount the events as this psychological drama unfolds: Krysztof Kotiuk, the ship’s captain, and Ahado, the brashly intelligent pirate leader. As weeks pass and the shipping company is reluctant to assist, the captain takes an incredible gamble. Receiving the ultimate rebuke from his crew as they reject his leadership, he finds his only ally is his enemy. In their isolation, an awkward friendship forms between the captain and his pirate, and both men begin to learn that there are some elemental human bonds between us all.

Imagine you are the captain of a container ship: You get hijacked by Somali pirates.The seizure of the Hansa Stavanger is one of the most notorious cases in modern piracy and the longest hostage taking at sea known in German history. The documentary is about the complex relationship arising between culprit and victim under a death threatening hostage situation. The film tells the intimate story of the friendship between captain Kotiuk and the pirates Ahado in a drama lasting over four months.