In the documentary Take No Prisoners, a hostage negotiator works to free an LA lawyer from Venezuela's most feared prison, while the captive's family pushes for intervention from The White House. The feature's footage reveals the intense world of international hostage recovery.
Víctor Tadashi Suárez served as a cinematographer on the project, which was directed by Adam Ciralsky and Subrata De.
"I got a call from a long-time collaborator, who was developing this project," Suárez recalls. "They told me it involved The White House, hostile foreign governments and hostages. This was all happening around the time of Brittney Griner’s wrongful detention in Russia, so it was very interesting to me and I was fascinated to take a peek behind the curtains to actually see what the process is like, when an American is taken as a political hostage. We spent a year and a half on an unprecedented embed with the chief hostage negotiator for the US, and it was truly fascinating to witness and document."
Suárez says the filmmakers pulled out all stops to make the project look like a classic Hollywood thriller, while still maintaining a small footprint.
"We ultimately decided on the Alexa Mini for its form factor and aesthetics, and shot the whole thing on a range of Angenieux Optimo zooms," he notes.
The project presented a number of challenges, as there was enormous pressure to remain as invisible as possible throughout the embed. The goal was to capture an honest and vulnerable portrait of the camera-conscious participant, and to not have the crew's presence interfere with any of the delicate negotiations.
"Also, getting a two-ton lighting package through the Secret Service and into The White House, twice, was its own special challenge that I hope to never have to repeat again," Suárez shares.
The climax of the film takes place in Caracas, where a secret mission is hoping to interview Venezuelan President Maduro in the hopes of advancing the negotiations.
"We were filming nearly the entire time we were in the country, given how quickly things were moving and not wanting to miss anything," says Suárez. "One of my favorite moments in the film happens in our hotel room, just as the sun is setting, as we were waiting to hear about our next steps. I was always filming, even during this waiting, and the payoff is capturing this spontaneous and dramatic moment on-camera, as we got news that would change our entire trip and the course of the film. It's that kind of patience and attention to detail, even in moments that seem unlikely to end up on the screen, that I’m most proud of in my work, and that delivers one of the most powerful moments in the film."