Yesterday was the first day of filming in Hamburg for the TV film, which has the working title "Blauwasserleben". In it, Stefanie Stappenbeck and Markus Mittermeier play out the story of a North German long-distance sailing couple who set sail around the world on their catamaran "Baju" and made a momentous stop on Nuku Hiva in the South Seas in autumn 2011.
On the island, the couple met a local man with whom the skipper at the time, Stefan R., went go goat hunting alone. What exactly happened on that day could not be reconstructed beyond doubt afterwards. The fact is, however, that Stefan R. died on this trip ashore and parts of his body were later found.
According to the skipper at the time, Heike Dorsch, the same local man with whom her sailing partner had been travelling also assaulted her. She only managed to free herself and escape with difficulty.
Because the skipper's body could not be found at first, the media even wrote about cannibalism at times. However, this accusation could not be substantiated in the subsequent court proceedings, in which the accused was sentenced to 28 years in prison for murder last May. Instead, it can be assumed that he tried to dismember the body and then burn it in order to cover up the crime.
Heike Dorsch had returned to Germany after the murder and had written a book about the terrible event and their time sailing together beforehand. The title: "Blue Water Life". Writing down her experiences was a kind of therapy for her in order to come to terms with the stroke of fate.
The book is now being followed by the film. The home scenes are currently being filmed in Hamburg. The film crew will then travel to Hawaii to film the South Pacific sequences. Heike Dorsch did not miss the opportunity to visit the film shoot yesterday.
Her role is played by Stefanie Stappenbeck, known from many Tatort episodes and various TV films. Markus Mittermeier in the role of skipper Stefan R. was most recently seen in "München Mord", "Unter Verdacht" and "Der Staatsanwalt".
"Blauwasserleben" is a ZDF commissioned production by Network Movie, Hamburg; the producer is Jutta Lieck-Klenke. The film is expected to be broadcast next spring as part of the ZDF series "Herzkino".
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT
