As part of an ongoing effort to bring the history of one of the world's most renowned privateers to life, the Captain Morgan brand and Sundance Channel have aligned with award-winning director Michael Haussman to create The Unsinkable Henry Morgan, a documentary film exploring the myths and legends surrounding Captain Henry Morgan's conquests in Panama, premiering on Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 9:35 PM ET.
On the evening of Friday, January 18th, the film will be screened at the Filmmaker Lodge in Park City, with an after-party taking place at Sundance Channel HQ. Fritz Hanselmann, the lead archaeologist featured in the film, will emcee the event and director Michael Haussman, as well as New York Times bestselling author of "Empire of the Blue Water," Stephan Talty, will both participate in a Q&A session. Bringing the Captain Morgan brand to life, the HQ will display a 10-foot replica of The Satisfaction, Captain Morgan's flagship, during the event. Additionally, there will be photographs from the documentary's shipwreck expedition, behind-the-scenes shots from filming, and a replica of Captain Morgan's iconic red coat on display for HQ visitors to observe.
The innovative 30-minute documentary follows a team of prestigious artists and experts, including Academy Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood and bestselling author Stephan Talty, as they traverse the Central American country formulating a cultural impression of Morgan's legacy in Panama today.
"Most people have at least heard of the infamous Captain Morgan, but to this day, I don't know if people know whether he was real or just a fictitious pirate. For me, that was the most intriguing reason to take on the project," explained Haussman. "Our artists and experts acted as investigators, using their skills to paint a more accurate picture of Henry Morgan, the man. What we were not prepared for was the enormous scale of his feats, or the historical significance his conquering of Panama played in re-shaping the country and the decline of the Spanish Empire forever."
Part of the journey to create The Unsinkable Henry Morgan included diving into the search for Captain Henry Morgan's lost fleet – an underwater archeological expedition in search of the five ships Morgan lost in 1671 off the coast of Panama on the shallow Lajas Reef, which included his flagship The Satisfaction. The project began in September 2010, when a team of leading U.S. archeologists, led by Frederick "Fritz" Hanselmann discovered six iron cannons belonging to Morgan. Armed with funding from the Captain Morgan brand, the team discovered and excavated artifacts from a 17th century wooden shipwreck near where Morgan's ships were lost.
