Program Note
In 1991, as South Korea pursued UN membership, its embassy in Mogadishu became stranded amid the outbreak of civil war. Ambassador Han and NIS agent Dae-jin sought political leverage but were thwarted by interference from the North Korean embassy. As violence engulfed the city and communication was cut off, the South Korean embassy found itself isolated. In a dramatic turn, North Korean diplomats—also trapped and desperate—sought refuge from their southern counterparts.
Based on a true story from the 1991 Somali Civil War, Escape from Mogadishu recounts how South and North Korean diplomats risked everything to escape the conflict together. Rather than relying on large-scale war spectacle, the film builds gripping tension through a carefully crafted escape narrative. Its restrained, unsentimental direction lends emotional depth to the portrayal of ordinary individuals in extraordinary circumstances. Released during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2021, reaffirming the creative strength of production company Filmmakers R&K. (Martin LEE)