Inside the Mind of a Monster: BBC Broadcasts Kan 11's Chilling "The Jackal

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has announced the acquisition of the documentary film THE JACKAL SPEAKS, a film version of the documentary series Carlos the Jackal produced by Israel’s Kan 11. The film will air on the BBC’s STORYVILLE platform on June 3, 2025.

The original Israeli series, created by directors Yaron Niski and Danny Liber, first aired on Kan 11 and garnered significant international attention. Now, the three-episode series will be presented as a single film for British audiences.

Kan 11's The Jackal Speaks (Photo: Courtesy of Kan 11, Kuma Studios)

A Unique Project Based on Exclusive Interviews

The series offers a chilling portrait of Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, known as "Carlos the Jackal", one of the most dangerous terrorists of the 20th century. The project’s uniqueness lies in the many hours of exclusive recorded interviews conducted with Carlos from his prison cell in Paris, where he has been held for 27 years.

Carlos, born in Venezuela in the 1950s, became one of the world’s most wanted terrorists in the 1970s and 1980s. He adopted the fight against Israel as a way of life, aligned himself with Palestinian terror organizations, and was responsible for a series of terrorist attacks against Israelis worldwide. Carlos confessed to the murder and killing of dozens of innocent people and was sentenced to three life terms.

A Valued International Collaboration

Lucy Cohen, the lead producer of BBC STORYVILLE, noted, “The exclusive testimony presented in the film provides a glimpse into the mind of a man who influenced global political violence in the 20th century. It is a powerful and thought-provoking reminder of the global consequences of radical ideologies.”

Gili Gaon, head of the documentary department at the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, emphasized, “As a public broadcaster, we are proud to support impactful documentaries that provoke thought and encourage public discourse. Carlos the Jackal is much more than a documentary series: it is a rare historical document of immense power, in which Carlos breaks his silence and tells his story in his own voice.”

The Creators Behind the Project

The series was produced in collaboration with NGI Productions by Kuma Studios, owned by Elad Kuperman and Shira Margalit. The lead director, Yaron Niski, 48, is an Israeli creator and screenwriter who won the Israeli Academy Award for Television. Niski, who began his career in comics, transitioned to television and created series such as M.K. 22 and Red Band. In recent years, he has specialized in documentaries, producing series like Enemies and The Mandate for Kan 11.

Danny Liber, who served as the chief editor of the series, is a documentary creator and content editor specializing in investigative programs and documentary series for various Israeli channels.

The series is currently available on Kan BOX and all digital platforms of the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, and will now reach British audiences through the BBC.