Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and DVD from director Ryoo Seung-wan and Well Go USA Entertainment is the drama thriller based on true events with ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU.

It is 1991 in Mogadishu as diplomats from both South and North Korea attempt to find their place and make deals with dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. Tensions are high and each move by all embassy’s is carefully coordinated.

In the South Korean Embassy, Han Sin-seong (Kim Yoon-seok) is in charge of the embassy along with wife Kim (Kim So-jin) and their children. His staff with Intelligence Officer Kang (Jo In-sung), secretary Gong (Jung Man-sik), translator Park (Park Kyung-hye and Jo Soo-jin (Kim Jae-hwa) keep their government informed of what is happening.

At the North Korean Embassy, Ambassador Rim Yong-su (Heo Joon-ho) has his family along with Intelligence Officer (Tae (Koo Kyo-hwan). The two Ambassadors are trying to keep their connections for doing business in Somalia and are competing with one another. That is until there is an uprising in the streets, and it becomes larger and larger with gunfighting in the street.

Ambassador Han and Kang immediately realize they must get the families and staff out of Mogadishu and learn that the flights have been cancelled. Returning to the embassy, communications and the electricity go out and the only thing they can do is stay indoors with some help from a few soldiers from Barre’s military.

At the North Korean embassy, Ambassador Rim is also attempting to take care of the families and staff. As the streets become overrun with fighters and military, there are those who are looking to ransack the embassies. When Rim’s office is attacked, they are warned to get out and they gather up to go through the streets.

Being chased and trying to stay alive, the North Koreans find themselves in front of the South Korean embassy. As the gunfighting is less than five feet away, the soldiers manage to push it at bay as Ambassador Han agrees to let them in. Immediately there are tensions and misunderstandings, but one thing is clear, they need to find a way to survive.

There is no time to be enemies when there are new enemies at the gate!

Yoon-seok as Ambassador Han just wants to do his job and do it well. Looking to make a working arrangement with Barre’s government, he feels defeated by the North Koreans at every turn. Once events turn badly, Yoon-seok gives his character suspicion that leads to an understanding he never thought was possible, well done.

Joon-ho as Ambassador Rim is a very straight forward man who knows that he is up against Ambassador Han and will also do anything to get a step ahead. When the fighting in the street starts, he has to make difficult decisions but as with Ambassador Han, it is the mistrust that hinders until the truth becomes clear.

In-sung as Kang lets Han know that helping the North Koreans is the right thing to do and even tries, however misguided, to help. This character has heart and will do anything to get everyone and I mean everyone out alive. Kyo-hwan as Tae is a little different, more angry and more determined to believe that the South Koreans are up to something that will harm them.

Well Go USA Entertainment is a theatrical and home entertainment company specializing in bringing the best Action, Genre and Independent films from around the world to North American markets. As a leader in independent film distribution, Well Go USA Entertainment’s titles can be seen across a variety of platforms including theatrical, digital, subscription and cable VOD, packaged media and broadcast television. Well Go USA Entertainment currently releases three to five films per month. To see more please visit www.wellgousa.com.

Bonus Features include Production Documentaries, Making of ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU and Trailers.

Doris Pfardrescher of Well Go USA Entertainment says of ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU that it “is both a gripping and important watch, made even more so by the production team’s careful study of surviving embassy records and historical accounts in order to create the most realistic possible depiction of the circumstances. The film portrays this almost unfathomable event that throws the horrors of war into sharp relief.”

ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU won Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography Award, Best Music Award and Star of the Year Award at the 20th Buil Film Awards.

The film begins at a pace that lets us get to know each of the characters and then rips into high gear once the coup begins between the rioters and the government. That is when the true heart of these characters begins to show themselves. Knowing from the onset that there was a divide between these two countries (as well as knowing it still exists), there are moments where the story causes intensity that they might be their own worst enemy.

Instead, the film gives us the opportunity to see that through talking (as much as they can while trying to get from A to B without death), these two groups of people are just that – people. One of the two countries forces decisions on the group and the other country puts pressure on being successful. When they are left on their own, they become – just people.

People who get to know one another on a level that most of us will never know in our lifetime. Sharing more than food with one another, they share bits of their own story that make the other even more aware that when you strip down all the garbage, they each love their family’s and just want to go home.

Coming in at 121 minutes, prepare for intensity, action, and ingenuity that makes the film time go so quickly to and ending that will break hearts as well as bring on conversation.

In the end – they must run to live!

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