Being kidnapped must be one of the most traumatic experiences a person can go through. One minute your going about your business in everyday life, the next, your freedom is snatched from you for God knows how long. For one person however, their eventual release wasn’t the end of his story.

In 2003 Brit Mark Anderson was embarking on a holiday in Columbia. Despite it being a country notorious for civil unrest, he was assured the tourist area he was visiting was safe. It wasn’t. He and seven other backpackers were kidnapped in the middle of the night. They were forced against their will to travel through the jungle in the dead of night.

Conditions were far from ideal. Although the Columbian government were seen to be proactive in seeing their return, the captives were treated poorly. Days turned into weeks. Finally, after 101 days, they were freed.

Mark returned home in an attempt to bring normalcy into his life. Eleven months after being released, he got an email from one of his kidnappers. This began a series of dialogue between them that continued for more than five years. In that time he even received an invite to his wedding. Another kidnapper also asked to be another captive’s ‘friend’ on Facebook – which she accepted.

This open communication led to the truly extraordinary event where Mark returned to Columbia to face his kidnapper once again. Could Mark finally get the answers he sorely sought years ago, and accept what his kidnapper has to say to him?

I told you we should've gone to Butlins.

With a story that is the stuff that films are made of, My Kidnapper is a remarkable true account of not only what it’s like to be kidnapped, but the longer lasting effects it can have on one’s mental state.

Not only does Mark get to recall his story, but he also returns with three other captives who he bonded with during this time. Together they recount the events that happened to them, not only on that fateful day, but also for the subsequent 100 days that followed.

And Mark does get to confront his kidnapper; however due to the fact that he could still be prosecuted for the crime, his identity is never revealed. In one sense the decision not to see him feels like the audience is a tad short-changed; we, along with Mark, want to look his captor straight in the eyes as he explains his actions. Instead, we have to settle for just shots of his mouth moving and the back of his head.

That said, this documentary offers the kind of insight into a world that is often only seen by clips on the news. Mark’s account is thoroughly absorbing and fascinating, as is the subsequent relationship he develops with his kidnapper.

Above anything else though, it will certainly make you think twice before signing up for the more ‘exotic’ holiday experience, that’s for sure.