Hostage: The Bachar Tapes (English Version) (2001)

"Hostage: The Bachar Tapes" is an experimental documentary exploring the "Western Hostage Crisis" in Lebanon during the 1980s and early 1990s. This crisis involved the abduction and detention of Westerners by Islamic militants, significantly impacting Lebanese, U.S., French, and British politics and sparking major political scandals like the Iran-Contra affair. The film examines this period through the recollections of Souheil Bachar, the only Arab held captive alongside the American hostages in Beirut during the 1980s. In 1999, Bachar created 53 videotapes detailing his captivity, collaborating with The Atlas Group. Two tapes, #17 and #31, are now made available outside of Lebanon, where Bachar discusses the cultural, textual, and sexual dynamics of his time with the American hostages.