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by Laura Thornley

Back in 2003, news was received in England that eight tourists had been taken hostage in Colombia by the ELN: The National Liberation Army. Amongst those taken were a German woman, two Israeli men and a Briton, Mark Henderson. Three months later the hostages were released unharmed. Not long after returning home Mark Henderson received an email from one of his captors, Antonio. From here there ensued a five year correspondence, that resulted in these four hostages returning to the heart of the ordeal and coming face to face again with their captor.

Henderson was already a director prior to his capture, so it’s easy to see why he chose to make a film about it. The story reads almost like a Hollywood action film, and probably wouldn’t be out of place as such. However, Henderson opted for the more sedate and honest option – no frills or fuss, just a real account of what happened during the three months of capture, how the hostages coped with returning to the site of such a horrific ordeal and what their new friends, the captors, had to say about it.

The film uses a talk through style of the events by Henderson and the other three hostages, rather than re-enactments. Was this wise? I think it was. Not only did it help them steer clear of theatrics, it also allowed the emotion to come through from the individuals. There are points that are just as gripping as any fictional tale could be, particularly when Mark explains about the other Briton, a 19 year-old who escaped on the first day – he jumped off the side of the path - ‘the captors just laughed and said he would be eaten by lions’.

It’s a fascinating journey that Henderson takes us on, and at times is slightly painful to watch, as the four grapple with trying to create some normality out of a most abnormal situation. The film culminates with the meeting with the captors, which throws up mixed feelings, considering we have just spent 60 minutes hearing about the harsh treatment imposed on them.

With a story like this, one could be forgiven for bringing out the label ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. But what the film displays is something far more complex than that and perhaps just a little bit political. As the individuals go back to the site of the experience, they visibly change on camera: what they felt they believed evolves through the new experience. The doc is not only a horrific tale of cruelty and the complicated politics of Colombia but it is also an understated story of forgiveness; one that the hostages should be commended for.

Dir. Mark Henderson and Kate Horne, 2009, 82 mins English

My Kidnapper is released in cinemas 11th February. Read Laura Thornley's interview with Mark Henderson here.

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