La Causa

Shocking depiction of the dystopian world inside Venezuelan prison PGV. The government has withdrawn and the inmates rule. But even in these grim circumstances, people look for goodness, beauty and salvation. Filmed undercover, sometimes with hidden cameras, over a period of five years.

In prison PGV in Caracas, guards only monitor the perimeters. Inside, the prisoners rule. They are armed to the teeth and have their own system of government, with criminal courts and a tax system called ‘La Causa’ (‘the cause’). Everybody carries firearms, delivered by corrupt policemen. Animals are kept in the yard, there’s a butcher doing his job next to the vendors of cocaine and crack.

Sometimes, family festivities are organised, resulting in the bizarre sight of Mickey and Minnie Mouse dancing on a prison stage. To deal with the harsh realities, some of the men turn to religion or music. Like the group of young inmates hoping to make it as the hip-hop formation Free Convict. For others, the prison is simply horrifying. The homosexual prisoners, called ‘the renegades’, are forced to live in improvised tents on the roof. They are not allowed to come down.