Titled “Operação TAP”, the film is directed by Portuguese filmmaker João Nuno Pinto and stars Rui Pedro Silva, Afonso Pimentel and Victoria Guerra.

Filming began on Tuesday, 3 November, marking a new step in Netflix’s investment in Portuguese film production.

As reported by ECO, the project draws on a real incident in which a teenager seized control of a TAP flight and demanded $10 million, leaving passengers and crew facing a night of uncertainty.

Creative liberties

The story is set in 1980, recreating the atmosphere and visual style of the decade.

However, Netflix says the film takes creative liberties with the original events rather than serving as a strictly historical account.

According to the platform’s official synopsis, the aircraft is diverted towards Madrid, with the young hijacker holding those onboard hostage.

What initially appears to be a potentially violent confrontation becomes an unexpected story of compassion and humanity between the teenager and his captives.

A real hijacking

The events behind the film date back to 6 May 1980, when a 16-year-old hijacked a TAP aircraft in what became known as the “Piratinha do Ar” incident.

The flight was travelling between Lisbon and Faro before being diverted to Madrid, as the teenager, armed with a pistol, demanded millions of dollars and safe passage to Switzerland.

According to Portuguese media reports, 83 passengers and seven crew members were on board.

This incident ended following negotiations with the authorities, with no injuries reported.

These unusual hijacking circumstances have now provided the starting point for Netflix’s latest Portuguese production, although the filmmakers have adapted the story for dramatic purposes.

Familiar names

SPi, the international production division of SP Televisão, is producing “Operação TAP”, which previously worked with Netflix on “Glória”, released in 2021 as the platform’s first Portuguese original series.

Pedro Lopes, Miguel Rico and Marina Preguiça Ribeiro wrote the screenplay, while João Nuno Pinto takes charge of directing.

The production reunites Netflix with several actors familiar to audiences of Portuguese television and streaming productions, including Afonso Pimentel, who previously appeared in “Rabo de Peixe” and “Glória”, and Victoria Guerra from “Glória”, while Rui Pedro Silva completes the leading cast.

Pedro Lopes, Chief Creative and Strategy Officer, said the project reflects the company’s ambition to bring Portuguese-language storytelling to international audiences.

He also described the film as a story about a country emerging from revolution, with its central themes exploring empathy and the human response to violence.

About the director

João Nuno Pinto has built a career across Portuguese cinema and television, with directing credits including “America – A Portuguese Story” (2010), “Mosquito” (2020) and the TV series “Causa Própria” (2022).

According to the Portuguese Academy of Cinema, his feature film “18 Buracos para o Paraíso” received recognition for its environmental credentials, becoming the first Portuguese film to obtain international Green Film certification.

His work has also attracted international recognition, with “Mosquito” winning Best Foreign Film at the São Paulo International Film Festival and collecting several distinctions at the CinEuphoria Awards.

In addition to cinema, he has worked on music videos, directing Keaton Henson’s “Don’t Swim”, which won Best Music Video at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards.

Netflix has not yet announced a release date for “Operação TAP”.

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