Americans may recall the Somalian civil war from the blockbuster Black Hawk Down, but Ryoo Seung-wan’s intense political thriller Escape from Mogadishu (like the earlier film, also shot entirely in Morocco) is likely to change all that. Set in 1991, when a long-festering internal conflict erupts into war, the fact-based film thrusts the audience into the terrifying street-level chaos, as two sets of Korean diplomats attempt to flee the country with their families and lives intact. The fierce rivals from North and South must first overcome their mistrust of each other (“I heard they’re trained to kill with their bare hands,” one wife says fearfully), before they can join forces and devise a foolproof escape plan. But the ambassadors, played masterfully by Kim Yun-seok (NYAFF Star Asia winner 2018) and Heo Jun-Ho, and their counselors, Zo In-sung and Koo Kyo-hwan (a 2019 NYAFF guest with _Maggie) _prove up to the challenge. Director Ryoo Seung-wan flexed his border-crossing action chops with The Berlin File; with explosively choreographed violence, welcome humor and moments of true pathos, Escape from Mogadishu provides an immersive filmgoing experience—and a moving argument for a united Korean family.