There is no simple job description, or rest for that matter, for Roger Carstens, officially the special president’s envoy for hostages Affairs (Spera) until January. Carstens was one of the negotiators behind helping Brittney Griner to Freedom and the release of Russia’s prisoners Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan. Now, in Adam Ciralsky and Subrata de’s Moving and effectively edited documentary ”Take no prisoners“We see the fall and incorrect detention of Eyvin Hernandez, a public defender coming from California As 2022 was arrested in Venezuela And held there by current President Nicolás Maduro.
Cirksky and they follow Carstens throughout the Ministry of State, on the private jet aircraft that shoot him to prison exchanges and all the way to Caracas, where he eventually helped to liberate Eyvin Hernandez 2023. film Pointing out, we have seen an increase of 175 percent in incorrect interns in the last decade – from Robert Lenvinson to Trevor Reed – and it often occurs in countries that try to influence changes in politics, use prisoners as a political farmer, such as in China, Russia, Iran, Syria and as we see, Venezuela. Unfortunately, Eyvin Hernandez was held at one of Venezuela’s most notorious prisons, called the dream house, but as one of Hernandez’s family members point out, it should be called the Nightmares House.
There, Venezuela’s Directorate General holds military counter -intelligence political prisoners who suspect to be foreign agents, which is why the government arrested Hernandez at the border while he was on a trip to Colombia. The filmmaking on “Take No Prisoners” is not very prominent – this is a political statement and not necessarily an immerive cinematic, although the rare access to and pictures of Carstens often gives an exciting story. Editor Scott Sheppard coincides pictures from Hernandez’s family in heartbreaking emotional moments and remembers Hernandez jail and their own efforts to help him get out. It would also have been fascinating to hear and see more about the many other erroneous prisoners this documentary name drops, although it ultimately focuses on Hernandez.
Among the talking heads here are former Secretary of State Antony Blink, who describes Carsten’s single strategy, which is a mixture of empathy against the affected families but also urgent negotiations in themselves. The access that the filmmakers have here, with Carstens which shows an openness in front of the camera that allows the documentary crew to understand part of his psychological attitude. However, “Take No Prisoners” is most heartbroken when it crowns how Hernandz’s family, after being liberated, has swung to Activism Hoping that there is no other hernandz in history. Of course, there are every day.
Rating: B.
“Take No Prisoners” premiered at 2025 SXSW Film & TV festival. It is currently seeking US distribution.
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