Sequestro

In Sao Paulo, kidnapping is an established business – lucrative and hectic. For four years a film crew followed the police department’s anti-kidnapping division (DAS), riding along to locate houses holding captives, listening in on phone calls, freeing horrified victims and busting criminals. Raw, powerful and with incredible access, this edgy documentary confronts one of the biggest problems that Brazil faces. In 2001 kidnapping in Brazil reached crisis point with 362 kidnappings taking place. It was also the year the DAS, or Police Kidnap Division was established to combat the hardened criminals who had the entire country living in fear. But why did Brazil suddenly become the kidnap capital of the world? The answer lies in the fall of the Soviet Union. Once the Soviets stopped funding leftist movements in South America, these movements needed to find another way to raise money. Kidnapping proved the ideal solution, bringing in cash and offering a new raison d’etre for the complex underground network of hardened leftist fighters. However, once they ended up in jail the problem only got worse, they started teaching every two-bit criminal the ins and outs of how to do it, spawning one of the most lucrative criminal industries of the 21st century.