Mogadischu (film)

Mogadischu
Mogadischu
	Promotional poster
Directed by	Roland Suso Richter
Written by	Maurice Philip Remy
Produced by	Gabriela Sperl; Nico Hofmann; Jürgen Schuster;
Starring	Thomas Kretschmann; Nadja Uhl; Saïd Taghmaoui; Herbert Knaup; Christian Berkel;
Music by	Martin Todsharow
Release date	30 November 2008;
Running time	108 minutes
Country	Germany
Language	German

Mogadischu is a 2008 German made-for-TV thriller film chronicling the events surrounding the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 181 by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in 1977. Directed by Roland Suso Richter, it was first shown on public broadcasting channel Das Erste on 30 November 2008.

Synopsis

On 13 October 1977, Lufthansa Flight 181, a Boeing 737-230 Adv named Landshut, is on its way from the vacation island of Mallorca to Frankfurt when it is hijacked by a team of four terrorists representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They demand the release of several leaders of the Red Army Faction (RAF) who are imprisoned in Germany. German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt refuses to negotiate with terrorists, aware that he is endangering not only the lives aboard the Landshut, but also that of German business leader Hanns Martin Schleyer, who is being held hostage by the RAF.

The plane makes its way through several stops to Aden in South Yemen, where the captain, Jürgen Schumann, is murdered by the hijackers. The plane continues on its way, eventually landing in Mogadishu, Somalia. As flight attendant Gabriele Dillmann and the surviving crew try their best to keep their passengers safe and calm, Colonel Ulrich Wegener leads the German federal police's newly formed counter-terrorism unit, GSG 9, in preparations to storm the Landshut.

In the night between 17 and 18 October, Schmidt gives Wegener the order to storm the plane and free the hostages. Somali ranger units create a fire as a distraction, allowing members of GSG 9 to approach the Landshut from behind. Operation "Feuerzauber" is successful, with all hostages rescued. Three hijackers are gunned down and killed, the fourth is seriously injured. One GSG 9 member and a flight attendant are injured. Schmidt is informed by phone that "the job is done."

Cast

Thomas Kretschmann as Jürgen Schumann, captain of Lufthansa Flight 181
Nadja Uhl as Gabriele Dillmann, a flight attendant aboard Flight 181
Saïd Taghmaoui as Zohair Youssif Akache, the leader of the hijackers
Herbert Knaup as Colonel Ulrich Wegener, head of the GSG 9 team
Jürgen Tarrach as Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski, state minister in the German Chancellery
Christian Berkel as Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
Simon Verhoeven as Jürgen Vietor, co-pilot
Tobias Licht as Baum
Cornelia Schmaus as Lyvia Vamos
Valerie Niehaus as Birgitt Röhll
Youssef Hamid as Wadie Haddad, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Gernot Kunert as Hanns Martin Schleyer, German business leader and hostage of the Red Army Faction
Franz Dinda as Peter-Jürgen Boock, a member of the RAF
Bettina Hoppe as Brigitte Mohnhaupt, a member of the RAF
Sofi Mohamed as Siad Barre, president of Somalia

Production

Filming took place between October and December 2007, at locations in Munich, Berlin, Ulm, Bonn, and Casablanca. The working title was Mogadischu Welcome.

External links

Mogadischu at IMDb
Mogadischu at Rotten Tomatoes

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