Kapringen (2012)

The crew of a Danish cargo ship is hijacked by Somali pirates who proceed to engage in escalating negotiations with authorities in Copenhagen.

Director:

Tobias Lindholm

Writer:

Tobias Lindholm

Stars:

Pilou Asbæk, Søren Malling, Dar Salim

16 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pilou Asbæk	...	Mikkel Hartmann
Søren Malling	...	Peter C. Ludvigsen
Dar Salim	...	Lars Vestergaard
Roland Møller	...	Jan Sørensen
Gary Skjoldmose Porter	...	Connor Julian
Abdihakin Asgar	...	Omar
Amalie Ihle Alstrup	...	Maria Hartmann (as Amalie Alstrup)
Amalie Vulff Andersen	...	Kamilla Hartmann
Linda Laursen	...	Anette Ludvigsen
Keith Pearson	...	Kaptajn
Allan Arnby	...	Niels Giversen
Bettina Schjerlund	...	Jytte
Derrick Dharmakan	...	Sømænd
Juma Mvita	...	Sømænd (as Jumamvita)
Mikyan 'Thura' Aung	...	Sømænd

Storyline

The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbor 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.

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Plot Keywords:

shot in the head | hijacking | shipowner | somali pirate | pirate | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish English Somali

Release Date:

20 September 2012 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

A Hijacking

Box Office

Budget:

DKK15,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$39,392, 23 June 2013

Gross USA:

$414,437

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,688,444

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nordisk Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Mikkel (the cook) talks for the first time with his wife and the negationers after the capture, in real life they haven't been talking for months and everything was taken in one shot for authentic matters.

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Quotes

Connor Julian: We can't rush these people. Time is a Western thing. It means nothing to them.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Venice Film Festival 2012 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Down in the Dark
Performed by CODY (aka Kaspar Kaae)
Words and Music by Kaspar Kaae
From the album "Songs"
© Nordic Music Society, 2009

User Reviews

Epic realism at its finest

Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm is steadily making a name for himself; daring filmmaker not afraid to take chances and it pays off in this one.

Kapringen (A Hijacking) is sort of the antithesis of a Hollywood hostage drama devoid of tired clichés and the predictable story lines we -- as an audience of generational film-goers -- have become too accustomed to.

It features an incredibly in-depth character study from the two main characters: a chef aboard the hijacked ship and the CEO of the shipping company remotely negotiating with the Somali pirates dealing with the incredible pressure and moral dilemmas of the situation. Also the supporting characters are depicted with great nuances such as sympathy and even humanity.

The plot is tight and flows nicely as does the tempo of the film. Cinematography beautifully emphasizes the realism and atmosphere of the film, and even the score is wonderfully understated yet fully appropriate.

One of the most suspenseful films of the year, no doubt, perhaps it embodies everything that Argo should have been about.

As a side note, the person who gave this a horrible review also gave The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2009) a perfect 10/10 (go ahead and click his other reviews if you don't believe me). Take from that what you will.

A highly recommendable film for great acting, directing and general storytelling. Bravo.