Highjack at High Sea

Highjack at High Sea (Assalto ao Santa Maria), by Francisco Manso. With Carlos Paulo, Pedro Cunha, Vítor Norte (Take 2000 Produções de Filmes).

Dramatisation of the true story of the highjack of the Portuguese luxury cruise Liner “Santa Maria” in international waters. The year was 1962. The Colonial War, that began less than one year earlier, was spreading to other Portuguese Colonies in Africa. A revolutionary group that fought against the war and against the dictatorial regime of Salazar took over the “Santa Maria”, renaming it "Santa Liberdade" (Holy Freedom). They were helped by Spanish political exiles. Together, they tried to call the attention of the world to the dictatorial regimes of the Iberian Peninsula. Headed by Captain Henrique Galvão, the group tries to get a message of hope to the world. 


Were it to happen today, the hijack of the "Santa Maria" would have been a breaking-news event, followed live on major news networks around the world.