Private Project

Transatlantic 05

Four years of preparations, of building the sailboat, four years of dreams, aspirations and hopes. Two men in the middle of the ocean, each is living his story; in dangerous and extreme conditions on the verge of survival are racing for the best possible result. 4,266 nautical miles or 7,900 kilometres in 30 days across the Atlantic ocean – in one of the most difficult races, the Transatlantic 6.50.
A film of rises and falls, of pain and adrenalin.

  • Igor Vrtačnik
    Director
    Through My Eyes
  • Igor Vrtačnik
    Writer
    SYMPHONY OF THE UNDERWORLD
  • Igor Vrtačnik
    Producer
    CHASERS OF THE DARK
  • Andraž Mihelin
    Key Cast
  • Kristian Hajnšek
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Transatlantique 05
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Adventure, drama, Offshore sailng, Survival, Ocean crossing
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 35 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 5, 2006
  • Production Budget:
    30 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Slovenia
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    Slovenian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:1,33 /3:4
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Moscow film festival
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
Distribution Information
  • Film Horzont
    Sales Agent
    Country: Slovenia
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Igor Vrtačnik

Igor Vrtačnik: Director/Producer
Studied at and graduated from the Ljubljana Film Academy, AGR FTV. Since then, he has been working as an independent film producer and director. He has made sixty documentaries, directed five short fictional films and four feature films. First graduation film Pirandello with cinematographer Georgij Rerberg as his DP. Rerberg is known for his work as the DP on Andrei Tarkovsky´s masterpieces such as The Mirror (1974) and Stalker (1979).
For his work (mostly student films) he has received many international awards.
He is also a passionate sailor and free-climber.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement


Transat 05 was not a planned film. It was one of those things that simply happen in life; and you either have the faith, courage and guts to go with them, or you don't… And the circumstances and deadlines for making this film truly seemed stacked against us.

For me, this is a huge part of the beauty of the film.

Two boats, two skippers, six cameras and one ocean.
It does sound a bit like a Guy Ritchie film, but the experiences of Andraž Mihelin and Kristian Hajnšek are no fiction! They are real.

Transat 6.50 regatta across the Atlantic Ocean, a 30-day offshore solo race, is one of the most extreme and exhausting of its kind. Skippers embark on a 4250-mile (8000 km) journey alone, on sailboats, which are merely 21-foot long (6.5 m); they are practically cut off from everything, with no means of communication with the outside world.

Film was made before the existence of small digital cameras, go-pro and similar toys. We had to modify commercial electronics on classic tape recorders (Hi 8 cassettes) that will withstand 100% humidity, constant wave crashes and vibrations. We also had to develop special waterproof microphones. Furthermore, we only had two months to prepare the entire production, and that – to begin with – meant developing all the video and audio electronics (non-existent in the market), which would be able to operate in such extreme shooting conditions and without steady power supply (the main priority for power, of course, are the navigational instruments, which are vital for the skipper), then making it waterproof, testing it, and solving all the logistical problems of the production.
Finally, we had to find a way to put these magic moments on film with as little inconvenience to the skippers as possible; after all, they had their hands full and were often on the edge of survival. This was not really a time or place for experiments in film-making…

Considering the circumstances, the production level is high; the sound in particular is quite an achievement, as all was recorded on the spot, even the storm sequences, with no additional synchronization.

All the adrenaline rush and adventure aside, the most important aspect of the film for me is that it is still basically a story about hope, faith and trust of two young people who in the midst of challenging nature explore themselves and their own limits.
A sincere and sensitive story full of dramatic and comic twists and turns, monumental weather contrasts, breathtaking nature and spirituality.

It might have looked like a fool's errand, but this was by no means a ship of fools.