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Netflix has released many insightful documentaries over the years and Surviving Black Hawk Down is one great example of the same. Directed by Jack Macinnes, the documentary was released on the streaming platform on February 10, 2025.
It throws light on the Battle of Mogadishu that took place on 3-4 October 1993, wherein United States forces supported by UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia) fought against Somali National Alliance fighters and other insurgents.
Macinnes' Surviving Black Hawk Down has received praise from viewers because it puts forward accounts of the incident from the people involved, on both sides. It is interesting to note that the three-episode documentary series has been produced by Ridley Scott Associates. Cinephiles will remember that Ridley Scott had previously directed Black Hawk Down which was released back in 2001.
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Surviving Black Hawk Down has several memorable moments but some particular scenes, mentioned on this list, are sure to leave a lasting impression on the audience.
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Disclaimer: This list contains information from various sources and contains spoilers.
10 eye-opening moments from Surviving Black Hawk Down that viewers will remember for a long time to come
1) Operation Restore Hope slowly lost its appeal
Surviving Black Hawk Down feels immersive because it takes the time to cover all aspects of the incident and everything that led to it. The first episode helps viewers get a better understanding of the locals and what they felt about the United States getting involved in the Somali Civil War.
Operation Restore Hope started in 1992 and around 1,800 U.S. Marines arrived in Somalia with the aim to restore peace. War cameraman, Ahmed 'Five', in one of his interviews, shares that the Somali citizens were initially hopeful that this arrival would bring positive changes but when the American soldiers left a trail of destruction behind them, the public opinion started to turn sour.
It becomes clear in Surviving Black Hawk Down that the Somali public eventually lost hope in Operation Restore Hope because they weren't seeing enough results.
2) The interviewed soldiers arrived in Somalia when hostility was on the rise
Surviving Black Hawk Down features interviews of different U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force soldiers including David Diemer, Brad Thomas, Randy Ramaglia, and Tom Satterly who arrived in Somalia in 1993.
From their interviews, it becomes apparent that the violence had already escalated by then. In fact, they shared that they heard mortar fire on the first night itself. After they arrived in Somalia, the soldiers went on several high-stakes missions that targeted important members of the Somali National Alliance.
One such mission that was carried out on September 7, 1993, is covered in Surviving Black Hawk Down wherein the soldiers raided an apartment complex because they had reason to believe that the SNA leader, General Mohammed Farah Aidid, was inside.
3) Voices from both sides are given a chance to be heard
It is not uncommon for a historical war documentary to lean towards one side but Surviving Black Hawk Down doesn't suffer from making any assumptions about which party is right and which one is wrong. It mainly attempts to present the whole picture so that viewers can come to their own conclusions.
The fact that Surviving Black Hawk Down contains interviews of different soldiers with varied roles allows viewers to understand the reality on the ground from different perspectives. The series also contains interviews of members from General Aidid's army such as Nuur Hassan and Yasun Dheere, so that their version of the events are also taken into account.
In addition to that, these accounts are layered with impactful snippets from journalists covering the war, Somali citizens, and other reliable sources who witnessed the series of events in Somalia first-hand.
4) The soldiers were in the wrong spot
During an intense conflict, even the smallest of errors can have big repercussions and the narrative of Surviving Black Hawk Down makes it clear that the American soldiers suffered more losses because of unintentional mistakes.
One of the soldiers being interviewed, Tom Satterly of the Delta Force, was part of the team that was mobilized when intel came through about Omar Salad, one of Aidid's advisors, hiding near the Olympic Hotel.
Satterly shared that the Rangers had made a perimeter at around 15:40 to block off the intersections so that they could hold off Somali combatants. However, when Satterly and the rest of the soldiers reached their destination, it became clear that they were in the wrong spot. They had to fight their way to the target building and reached only around 16:00.
5) Saido Mohamed's home became a temporary shelter for the American soldiers
One of the biggest revelations of the incident comes from the interview of Saido Mohamed, a Somali woman. It was her house that Tom and Randy's team decided to take shelter in after the Black Hawk helicopter crashed. They knew that it would take time for the Rescue and Casualty Convoys to arrive which meant that they needed a place to lay low.
She appears multiple times in episodes two and three of Surviving Black Hawk Down. Not only does she elaborate on the fear and anxiety that she had felt during that time but she also throws light on the actions of the American soldiers inside her house and the Somali fighters who had surrounded it.
Saido's emotional account in Surviving Black Hawk Down captures the viewer's attention because she became an unintended spectator to the violence and hostility at close quarters.
6) Mike Durant shares his experience of being held captive
It is only natural for Surviving Black Hawk Down to feature Mike Durant's story because it was his interview that made headlines across the world. Durant was the pilot of the second Black Hawk that crashed. Shortly after the helicopter hit the ground, Durant was captured by the Somalis.
While he was being held as a prisoner of war, someone from General Aidid's army reached out to Five to film the infamous hostage video that was sent across as a warning. Durant stayed in captivity for 11 days and was freed after Bill Clinton threatened to take extreme measures if his captors tried to hurt him in any way.
In Surviving Black Hawk Down, Durant shares what was going through his head when the video was being filmed. He also reveals the reception he got after he was freed and the impact the incident has had on his life.
7) Ahmed 'Five' filmed the interrogation video of Mike Durant
Ahmed 'Five' is one of the most heavily featured interviewees in Surviving Black Hawk Down and there is a good reason for it.
In his own words, Five had become enamored with the camera when he was 19 years old. As he was living in Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War, he felt compelled to capture everything that was happening in the country. In fact, it was Five who was brought in to film Mike Durant's hostage video.
Five is featured in all three episodes of the documentary series. He is the source of most of the compelling footage from the Battle of Mogadishu that has been featured on international news portals. Surviving Black Hawk Down also uses a lot of his footage from that time.
8) The Casualty Convoy witnessed multiple roadblocks
One of the interviewees of Surviving Black Hawk Down, Brad Thomas, was part of the Casualty Convoy during the Black Hawk Down Incident. The main aim of this convoy is to pick up dead soldiers, along with injured ones, and transport them back to the base as quickly as possible. However, the convoy was unable to get to soldiers fast enough because it wasn't easy getting across Mogadishu.
Thomas had shared that the Somalis had set up several roadblocks that made it hard for the convoy to pick up trapped soldiers before it was too late. This revelation in Surviving Black Hawk Down makes it clear that if the Casualty Convoy had been able to move more freely across the city, the Americans wouldn't have had to deal with as many casualties as they did.
9) Both sides were equally violent
As compared to other recent war documentaries, one thing Surviving Black Hawk Down does well is to present a candid picture of what went down on the day of the incident. The soldiers who have been interviewed for the series are quite candid about the violence they caused and the people they killed. At one point, Brad even confessed that "I don't think my finger came off the trigger for very long at all."
And this is not just the case for the American soldiers. The members of General Aidid's army interviewed in Surviving Black Hawk Down are equally candid about the things they saw, the bullets they fired and their motivation to align themselves with General Aidid's philosophy. Hassan even remarked, "The fall of the helicopter was the happiest moment I ever had."
This proved that the violence had heightened to such a level that neither side could stop to think about the implications of their actions.
10) No one wins
Through its poignant storytelling, Surviving Black Hawk Down shares a lot of important messages about war and conflict. One of the biggest takeaways is the fact that both sides witnessed a considerable loss of human life.
While it is true that the loss for the Somali side was far greater as compared to the Americans but it cannot be denied that American soldiers who did survive the harrowing incident are still reeling from the aftermath.
Towards the end, Five cleverly notes that both sides are victims of the war. Tom Satterly sums it up nicely by sharing how soldiers like him are trained for war but there are no lessons for dealing with the atrocities they witness and experience during a war.
Surviving Black Hawk Down isn't an easy watch but it is an important one because it imparts valuable lessons about war that are worth knowing and remembering.
