A 10-minute corporate hostage video that'll make you side-eye your next Zoom meeting.
A man is held captive and threatened and mentally tortured by his captors. An anxious boardroom gathers to watch the resulting hostage tape; the tension mounts as it draws to its inevitable, traumatic conclusion... But events are even more sinister than they initially appear. 2009 Audience Winner at the Portobello Film and Video Festival
Acting
David Cann's Chairman—chilling corporate sociopathy in under 10 minutes.
Direction
Gus Alvarez weaponizes the short format like a punch to the gut.
Editing
Cutting between captivity and boardroom builds unbearable dread.
Director
Gus Alvarez
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during the 2008 financial crisis, it weaponizes corporate anxiety when bankers were already public enemies.
The 10-minute runtime mirrors real hostage video lengths—Alvarez forces you to experience the same voyeuristic trap as the boardroom.
GB
