Few people may know the name Ishmael LaBeet, but he is one of the top five most wanted US fugitives in Cuba. Through reenactments and interviews, Canadian filmmaker Jamie Kastner is putting the pieces together and digging depper in The Skyjacker’s Tale.
LaBeet, who now goes by Ishmael Muslim Ali, was convicted of murdering eight people on a golf course in the US Virgin Islands. After years of serving time, Ishmael succeeds at escaping by hijacking an American Airlines flight headed to Cuba on New Years Eve 1984.
Retold through the eyes of LaBeet/Ali, a different, more sympathetic story emerges. Combined with never before seen footage and in depth interviews with LaBeet/Ali, The Skyjacker’s Tale promises to open audiences’ eyes to another angle of the case altogether.
Audiences can see The Skyjacker’s Tale at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
