Leila Khaled: Hijacker (2006)

Swedish film-maker, Lina Makboul, idolizes Leila Khaled and travels to Jordan to meet her in Amman where she lives with her husband and two sons. Leila, born in Haija, on 9th April 1944, was forced to flee along with her family during 1947 to a refugee camp in Lebanon after a terrorist group 'Stern Gang' massacred scores of civilians in Deir Yassin, Kibya, and Tantura. During 1967, her hopes to return home were crushed after Israel defeated Egypt, and she took it upon herself to free Palestine. She became the very first female to hijack TWA Flight 840 on August 29, 1969 to Syria with 2 hand grenades taped to her waist and a pistol tucked in her panties. This incident caught the world's attention, and she became a celebrity so much so that she had to undergo plastic surgery. After a 3-week detention she was let go by Syrian authorities. On September 6, 1970 she and others hijacked several planes - a move that led to her detention in Britain. But other hijackers did succeed, leading to a negotiated release of the hostages in exchange for Leila. She accompanies Lina to Shatila, Lebanon - the site of another massacre - the place she describes as the real Palestine - where young children talk about demonstration and liberation. Lina also travels to Haifa and brings back mementos of Leila's crumbling family home on Stanton Street. Leila, who also runs the Palestinian National Council, is regarded as a freedom fighter, has no regrets for her past actions - but nothing will prepare her for the final question that Lina will ask her via telephone from Sweden.