Plot Synopsis

Carlos the Jackal, a Venezuelan whose real name was Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, was one of the most notorious international terrorists, and for two decades he was the most wanted man on Earth for masterminding a wave of terror attacks in Europe and the Middle East in the 1970s and 1980s. He was alternately seen as hero, playboy, revolutionary and villainous assassin -- manipulated by Arab secret services and protected by the Eastern bloc in various disguises and under many pseudonyms. This dramatization, based on historical and journalistic documentary research, was shot in various countries including Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Lebanon and Morocco. CARLOS was an Official Selection (non-competition) at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, and the 5-1/2 hour version was screened on May 19, 2010. That same night, Canal+ aired the first part of the three-part miniseries. In the United States, CARLOS was an Official Selection at the 2010 New York and Telluride Film Festivals, shown by Sundance as a miniseries in 2010 over three consecutive nights on October 11, 12, & 13, and released by IFC Films in U.S. theaters in its original 5-1/2 hour form as well as a 2-1/2 hour theatrical version.