On the occasion of World Refugee Day 20 June, UN's High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Somalia will hold a special screening in Nairobi of Tobias Lindholm's "A Hijacking". The screening takes place 19 July.
Keeping things real
This film on modern-day piracy tracks the drama ensuing from the hijacking of a large freighter off the coast of Somalia. A director and scriptwriter who likes to keep things real, Lindholm and his crew filmed aboard the MV Rozen, a ship that had actually been hijacked by Somali pirates a few years earlier, and several of the cast were professional sailors who had experiences from real-life hijacking incidents.
Actor Keith Pearson, who plays the captain of the MV Rozen, and a number of the Kenyan cast members have been invited to attend the screening on the eve of World Refugee Day along with an audience of UN delegates, NGOs, donors and media.
A pressing issue
The subject matter of "A Hijacking" ties in well with the World Refugee Day themes. In the context of Somalia, UNHCR has a number of projects working on diversion activities so that young boys are not tempted by piracy or militia. Last year, UNHCR Somalia screened Angelina Jolie's "In the Land of Blood and Honey", about the Bosnian war, at a similar event.
Tobias Lindholm is acclaimed for his writing on TV series "Borgen" and Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt" and "Submarino". "A Hijacking" is Lindholm's first solo directing, having signed his feature debut "R" with co-director Michael Noer. Since its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last September, "A Hijacking" has received glowing reviews and a host of festival awards. Already out in UK cinemas, the film's American release is set for 21 June.
"A Hijacking" is produced by Tomas Radoor and René Ezra for Nordisk Film. TrustNordisk handles international sales.
A Hijacking
The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Amongst the men on board are the ship's cook Mikkel and the engineer Jan who, along with the rest of the seamen, are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company and the Somali pirates.