Held Hostage

On January 16, 2013, a gang of Al Qaeda terrorists took control of a giant gas facility in Algeria in a siege that lasted four days and led to the deaths of 37 expatriate workers. “Held Hostage” tells in forensic detail and, for the first time, the story of the siege and investigates the circumstances of the attack: who were the people behind it, why did they attack and how were they able to pull it off? The film also examines the controversial Algerian response that contributed to the 37 fatalities. It explores the human tragedies and consequences of the attack. This film also recounts the story of the siege through first person interviews with survivors and dramatic reconstruction of key events including the terrorist attack on the expat bus, the strapping of explosives to hostages, the hostage convoy to the gas plant.