After making a series of biographical documentaries , Macdonald directed '' One Day in September '' ( 1999 ) , about the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics . Possibly the most striking feature of this film was the lengthy interview with Jamal Al-Gashey , the last known survivor of the Munich terrorists ( it has been suggested recently in Aaron Klein 's book '' Striking Back '' that another , Mohammed Safady , might also still be alive ) . Macdonald found Al-Gashey through intermediaries , and was able to convince him that the film would only be truly authentic if Al-Gashey gave his side of the story . Since the former terrorist was convinced that Israeli authorities were still hunting him ( he had been in hiding ever since being ransomed for a hijacked aeroplane less than two months after the Munich massacre ) , Al-Gashey agreed to the interview only on condition that he would be disguised , his face would be shown only in shadow or blurred out , and that the interview would be conducted by a person and in a place of Al-Gashey 's choosing ( which turned out to be Amman , Jordan ) , although Al-Gashey agreed that Macdonald could be present . Since the interview was conducted entirely in Arabic ( even though Al-Gashey was known to be fluent in English , having been interviewed in the language in 1972 ) , and Al-Gashey ( through paranoia or annoyance ) frequently stormed out of the interview room , Macdonald did not know if he had anything usable until he returned to London and hired an Arabic translator . The film won an Oscar for Best Documentary
Munich massacre
Munich massacre
Kevin Macdonald (director)