A film by Emmy-awarding winning director Shelley Saywell, HAMAS, BEHIND THE MASK is a journey inside one of the world's most secretive and controversial political organizations. Shot during 2004-2005, it documents a transformative time as HAMAS entered the political arena, even as its main leaders were assassinated one by one.

Interviews with leaders in hiding, militants and activists are juxtaposed with Israeli experts and victims, as the film examines how HAMAS turned the once secular struggle for Palestine into a religiously motivated Jihad.

What emerges is a portrait of a starkly resilient group; when thousands of their members were imprisoned they turned the prison into a university for ideological discourse. When faced with Israeli fences and lock-downs against their attacks, they dug underground. When their leaders were killed, their recruitment grew. Their popularity in the Palestinian street kept growing, in part because of their vast social network and in part because their armed resistance appealed most when public desperation was highest. And even though they were put on the international terrorist list by the USA, they were able to increase their funding. On the world front, HAMAS has become a pivotal player in any real and meaningful peace prospects.

As HAMAS now enters the political arena they face a strategic question. Will they play inside the box? Israeli experts who have been tasked with fighting them now believe their influence will subside if the Palestinians believe they have achieved a measure of justice.

HAMAS, BEHIND THE MASK is a look at the people behind the stereo-typed terrorist mask, who have become a major force in shaping the future of a Palestinian state and an end to the enduring Middle Eastern conflict.