The news of the multi-governmental rescue of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and fourteen hostages from the hands of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) hasn’t quite faded from newsprint yet, but Vertigo Entertainment already has plans to bring the story to life.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Veritgo will team up with Colombian production house RCN to tell the story of the American, French and Colombian governmental intervention and the rescue attempt which saw operatives infiltrating the FARC and creating a smokescreen of moving the hostages to a new camp in order to get them on a military helicopter and out of harm’s way. The hostages had been missing for six and a half years.
Normally, I’m against movies that are taken directly from news stories, but this story has a lot of meat to it. There’s a great amount of courage, foresight and drama that comes directly from how each government dealt with the issue. I think, if done well, this movie could be flooded with suspense, and we already know it has an epic, slow-motion, helicopter-flying off into the sunset ending. Plus, it would be good to see the issue of Colombia thrust into the public consciousness a bit more. For decades, a mix of government apathy and underdevelopment in their eastern counties has given rise to major terrorist organizations like the FARC and the ELN as well as paramilitary groups that work for the government one day and work freelance the next. The word ‘clusterfuck’ comes to mind.
Politically aware commentary on FSR? I know. I apologize for the soap box, but it’s a situation most people should be more aware of. At the very least, if the film doesn’t have much political impact, it will still be fun for Hollywood executives to find out what their blow money is funding.