John McCarthy takes us on a journey to Lebanon, a country he has not seen since he was held hostage there by Shia gunmen. When he was freed in 1991, after five years of captivity, John thought he’d never go back. In this film he makes his return, not simply to confront ghosts from his past, but to discover how the country of his captivity has changed. John is particularly concerned to get to know the Shia Muslims, the community from which his captors came. He believes that understanding the Shia is vital, now that they’re making such a dramatic impact throughout the Middle East.

Production
48 mins, ITV1, 2004

Director
Geoff Dunlop

Executive Producer
Maureen Ali