By day he's like any other Indonesian fisherman. But at night he becomes a modern Jolly Roger, boarding ships not with swords, but with grenades. Ask him and he'll tell you he's just a man taking care of his family. Ask a victim of his shotgun or long knife-if he's alive-and he's nothing but a dangerous criminal.
Porampo: Pirates of the Malacca Straits, will take viewers on a journey inside the world of modern high seas piracy. This high def documentary focuses on one of the earth's traditionally dangerous waterways where a quarter of the world's ships pass every day. There, sailors may be assaulted by pirates who board with grappling hooks from fast vessels. These robbers seek a bounty of cash from the ship's safe, often victimizing crews at risk of being wounded, killed, or set adrift.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, in 2007 there were 263 reported pirate attacks worldwide, up 10% from the year before. However, the actual number of crimes is likely much higher due to an alleged cover-up by certain unscrupulous shipping companies. It is believed that more than 50% of piracy is not reported, as some companies are desperate to avoid bad publicity and higher insurance premiums. Also, it may cost a vessel upwards of $25,000 USD per day in operational expenses to tie up a vessel during a piracy investigation.
Two men, Michael Rawlins and Robert Duke, Jr., travel through Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, in their quest for modern day pirates. Contacts are made in bamboo huts and money changes hands in taxis. An ex-pirate with the scars of grenades and knives tells his story. Along the way there are interviews with police, fishing villagers, and ship's crews. It all builds to the film's pinnacle: a real nighttime pirate raid in a fast boat through infrared light.
Topic: Why do many pirate attacks go unreported? (Read 1738 times)