DER KAPITÄN UND SEIN PIRAT

Hansa Stavanger is free! In August 2009 the announcement rang out throughout the world. For four months the German container ship had been under the control of Somali pirates. It was four months of captivity, subjection and fear. The film focuses on the events behind the headlines and on the dynamic between Ahado, the pirate, and Krzysztof Kotiuk, the captain. One of them comes from Somalia, has nothing to lose and is the apparent victor. The other has accomplished everything and is now faced with oblivion. The two are connected by their months on the ship and a special kind of respect. DER KAPITÄN UND SEIN PIRAT scrutinises the drama’s psychological dimension and asks existential questions about people’s approach to life. Katrin John