Few figures in modern history evoke the same chilling notoriety as Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, better known as Carlos the Jackal. This Tuesday, BBC Four’s Storyville presents a rare and unsettling look inside the mind of the notorious terrorist with its new documentary, The Jackal Speaks. Airing at 10 PM GMT, the film offers unprecedented access—recorded entirely within the walls of the French high-security prison where Sánchez is currently serving a life sentence.
Forget the mythology, the romanticised image of the revolutionary. This is Carlos unfiltered, speaking with an almost unnerving lucidity about his life, his past actions, and the ideology that fuelled his reign of terror. The film traces Sánchez’s trajectory from childhood in Venezuela to his radicalisation and subsequent involvement in a string of high-profile attacks across Europe and the Middle East.
The Jackal Speaks examines the brutality of Sánchez’s actions and the complicated political landscape that both shaped and was shaped by his brand of extremism. The documentary examines his connections to figures like Muammar Gaddafi and Osama Bin Laden, laying bare the complex network of power, influence, and violence that defined his era.
“Storyville” airs Tuesdays at 10:00 PM GMT on BBC Four.
