Brillante Ma. Mendoza movies are always an event to watch out for. The filmmaker holds the distinction of being the only Filipino director to win the Best Director trophy at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2009 forKinatay. He bested among others such internationally acclaimed directors as Ang Lee, Pedro Almodovar, Jane Campion and Quentin Tarantino.
Three years have lapsed and in that span of time, Brillante who is also known simply as Direk Dante (Mendoza) in showbiz circles came up with a few short films. His latest full-length work called Captive is set to hit local theaters this September 5 Captive had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival last February.
Produced by Swift Entertainment Production and Centerstage Production,Captive is headlined by respected French actress Isabelle Huppert with a strong Filipino cast composed of Ronnie Lazaro, Angel Aquino, Sid Lucero, Raymond Bagatsing, Rustica Carpio, Maria Isabel Lopez, Mercedes Cabral and Timothy Mabalot.
Inspired by the Dos Palmas kidnapping of two US missionaries by the Abu Sayyaf Group which made headlines in 2001 and other similar events, Captive Recreates the scenes that transpired during that year-long ordeal of the 20 local and foreign tourists abducted by the renegade group. On June 27, 2002, the military managed to stage a daring rescue but by that time, only the French social worker Therese Bourgoine (played by Huppert) and the British missionary Sophie Bernstein are saved alive from the clutches of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Captive is a searing cinematic treat because it is the product of thorough research and committed filmmaking.