SCREENWRITER PETTER ENGLUND [PORTFOLIO]
A STORY OF THE SEVEN SEAS
INSPIRED ON A TRUE STORY
SETTING
Ultimat Fuga is a film that plays out much like a road movie — essentially our characters have this nomadic lifestyle where they sail wherever they please, never stopping in the same place twice. Before we go any further, let's address the elephant in the room. So, our characters will start off in North West Africa, cross the entire Atlantic to the Caribbean, spend the days island-hopping "some of the most secluded places on the planet" for the greater part of act two before passing through the freaking Panama Canal, and ultimately crossing the PACIFIC all the way to AUSTRALIA? Really? Why not shoot the entire yacht into space while we're at it?
Well, not so fast. There may be an alternative solution — a better solution — to achieve the same effect. Hear me out.
Instead of traveling from one side of the globe to the other, we will actually build a mini version of the entire world in a large basin in Mexico. We will then hire NASA to design a state-of-the-art wave machine — the largest such machine ever built by man (it will be another first) — and kindly ask the US AIRFORCE to unload tons of salt into the air at our cue (Mexico will pay) to simulate any given weather effect. To save some cash, the director will then be directing the actors remotely from his or her home through zoom.
I know this is a big ask, but I feel it's necessary to achieve the right tone for the story.
Jokes aside, Ultimat Fuga is set in a world up until this point almost exclusively reserved for very large period pieces, such as Pirates of The Caribbean and Master of Commander, and a few survival tales, such as All is Lost and Adrift. Very few productions, if any, have focused on the community aspect of the modern age circumnavigator. There are so many real-life stories to draw from here. People who have spent the majority of their lives at sea. Most of them untold to the greater mass. Ultimat Fuga has the opportunity to encapsulate something truly authentic here: from the ever-lasting mythology of the seven seas to the modern, personal stories of a home without borders.
While certainly a practical challenge to achieve, I strongly believe that the world and the feeling of freedom that we'll be presenting the audience with will be a never-before-seen one that they will want to revisit many, many times in the future.
S/Y ULTIMAT FUGA (spanish slang for "the ultimate let's go")
There are many used, custom-made sailing boats in the 60-feet range available around the world that have logged tens of thousands of miles. I imagine S/Y Ultimat Fuga to be one of those...
Unique not because of her beauty but because of the many scars earned along the way.
Famous for the many people from all across the world who have danced on her deck.
Respected for the countless times she has proven to withstand the forces of mother nature.
Below are a few real-life examples to give you an idea of what she may look like.
All the yachts below are currently for sale and none of them costs above US$200 000.
1985 Custom John Lidgard 60ft Fast Cruiser
1995 Custom KETCH ELENDIL
1990 Custom Howlett 70 Aerorig
MORE ABOUT THE CIRCUMNAVIGATOR LIFE
WITH JEAN-DU-DUD AROUND THE WORLD (1984)
In attempting to sail non-stop between Saint-Malo and Gaspé through the Roaring Forties and around Cape Horn alone aboard his Alberg 30, Jean-du-Sud, Canadian Yves Gélinas added his exceptional adventure to the art of sailing a small boat around the world.
Director: Yves Gélinas
Format: Documentary
OCCUPATION: CIRCUMNAVIGATOR
Lars Hässler spent ten years of his life sailing around the world. This is his story about the adventure, and how he made it possible with barely nothing to start with.
Written by: Lars Hässler
Format: Book