Stolen Seas

In our imagination, nothing has more sex appeal than a pirate. But what about the reality? In recent years, the media has grabbed onto the irresistible story of Somali pirates, but this riveting documentary takes us much further. What does a piracy operation look like from the inside? What is the full story behind Somali piracy? Why does it happen and why can’t it be stopped?

Director Thymaya Payne brilliantly plays to our fascination by using one incident, the hijacking of the Danish ship CEC Future, to look at the bigger picture. The film throws the viewer, through audio recordings and found video, into the middle of the real-life hostage negotiations. As the haggling between the ship's owner, Per Gullestrup, and the pirate's negotiator, Ishmael Ali, drags on for 70 days, these two adversaries form a strong connection and a fascinating dual character study emerges. Stolen Seas presents a thrilling blow-by-blow account of the CEC Future and a chilling exploration of the Somali pirate phenomenon.