The british TV reporter John McCarthy was 1985 working in Beirut, covering the kidnapping of the Irish University teacher Brian Keenan, when John himself was kidnapped and eventually put in the same "cell" as Brian. They were held hostages for more than four years - an event that was much covered in European and American media at the time.

Shut off from all news and contact with anyone other than their jailers and other brit and american hostages, the film focuses on the unlikely friendship that developes between John and Brian: one an easy-going upper class brit, the other a proud irish scholar with a workingclass background. The film is a drama-documentary based on the hostage's story as told via interviews, articles and books after their releases.

Fictionalized account of British, Irish, and American hostages of Hezbollah in Beirut in 1986 who were held in Lebanon for five years. Dark and brutal story of Terry Anderson, Thomas Sutherland, Frank Reed; British citizens John McCarthy, Terry Waite; and Irish teacher Brian Keenan and how their families held out under the stress. Also follows the trials and tribulations of their families, who struggle against government bureaucracy to free their loved ones.

Directed by:

David Wheatley

Writing credits (in alphabetical order): 

Bernard MacLaverty

Panttivangit

Finland

Verlorene Jahre

Germany

Kathy Bates

-

Peggy Say

Colin Firth

-

John McCarthy

Ciarán Hinds

-

Brian Keenan

Natasha Richardson

-

Jill Morrell

Jay O. Sanders

-

Terry Anderson

Josef Sommer

-

Tom Sutherland

Harry Dean Stanton

-

Frank Reed

Rasan Abbas

-

Head Kidnapper

Conrad Asquith

-

Terry Waite

Colin Bruce

-

Robie Burke

Colum Convey

-

Art Agnew

Stephen Dillane

-

Chris Pearson

Harry Ditson

-

David Say

Tony Doyle

-

Badraig Murphy

Paul Jaynes

-

Newsman

Amir M. Korangy

-

Ghassemmi

Gooey Law

-

Newsman

Rosaleen Linehan

-

Brenda Gilham

Ruth McCabe

-

Elaine Spence

Brian McGrath

-

Connor

Juliano Mer

-

Ali

Gabrielle O'Brien

-

Belfast Woman

Patrick Pearson

-

Lowther

John Pickles

-

Pat McCarthy

Raad Rawi

-

Moussavlan

Sami Samir

-

Ahmad

Rolf Saxon

-

Plaskett

Mozaffar Shafeie

-

Translator

Colin Stinton

-

Mike Mulholland

Dan Turgeman

-

Mahmoud