It wasn't your average interview.

BBC journalist Alan Johnston, who spent nearly four months in captivity in Gaza, sat down recently with Ingrid Betancourt, who spent six-and-a-half years as a captive of Colombian rebels.

Afterwards, Alan explored the feelings the meeting brought up for him in a special commentary for the BBC.

 "We share an experience of a particular kind of darkness, and fear, and inhumanity that changed each of our lives for ever," Alan says in the piece.

(You can hear Alan read the commentary here.) 

Alan recently released a book about his captivity and his life: "Kidnapped and Other Dispatches." 

For those interested in a fascinating look at life for Betancourt and the other hostages in Colombia, along with the daring Hollywood-esque rescue operation, check out "Operation Checkmate," an in-depth article from last month's Vanity Fair.