2001, fifteen residents in the hotel of an island in the Philippines are captured and kidnapped by a commander of Abu Sayyaf group.  The intent is to blackmail the corresponding nations and the Philippines government in order to obtain money and political counterparts. The negotiations are bogged down almost immediately and the prisoners will be kept for over a year in the Philippines jungle before being released to the military. The sequestration then assumes the form of a long march, whilst numerous attempts at rescue are transformed always into slaughters in which will fall terrorists as well as hostages. Based on real events, Brillante Mendoza produces his first film in which the realism of the style accompanies that of a trauma inspired by chronicles. The film, interpreted by Isabelle Huppert, has been shown at the most recent Berlin Festival.

Brillante Mendoza, Philippines director, arrived in the cinema in 2005, conquering with his first feature film Masahista, about the real story of a young homosexual Filipino masseur, the attention of international festivals. With Foster Child, presented in Quinzaine des Réalisateurs 2007 at the Cannes festival, Mendoza began attendance in the major worldwide film festival culminating in 2009 with the award for directing Kinatay. In 2007 he participates at the Berlin Festival with Turador, whilst his Lola is one of the surprise films in the contest at the Venice Film Festival. In 2012 he participated in the Venice International film festival of cinematographic art with Thy Womb. Captive is presented in Italian preview at TTFF 2012.