PVC-1

PVC-1 is a 2007 Colombian drama film directed by Spiros Stathoulopoulos. The plot was inspired by a true story about a pipe bomb improvised explosive device (IED) that was placed around the neck of an extortion victim. This directorial debut premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2007 as an official selection of the Directors' Fortnight. The 84-minute film was shot in one single continuous take without cuts using a Glidecam Smooth Shooter and a Glidecam 2000 Pro camera stabilization system. The film won numerous awards at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival.

Plot

The film, set in Colombia, opens with a gang in a car, carefully looking after a certain package. The gang is led by a violent and volatile man who is only known as Benjamin. A few moments later, the gang arrives at a farm and storm the house, taking the family hostage. Benjamin then says that there is money in the house, and that the family will give it to them if they want to remain unharmed. However, Simon, the man of the house, says that they are wrong and that they are a really poor family who have never had much money. A furious Benjamin holds Simon at gunpoint, while one of his henchmen begins taking measures of all the family member's necks, he realizes that the only person who has the "desired" measures is Simon's wife, Ofelia. The man then takes out the package seen at the beginning of the film and opens it, revealing 2 pieces of PVC pipes and other instruments; he places the pieces around Ofelia's neck and straps them together, forming a "collar bomb". Benjamin then orders the family to lay down on their stomachs, the family complies and, a few minutes later, realize the gang is gone.