I watched the documentary Flight 149: Hostage of War, directed by Jenny Ash, during its screening at SXSW 2025, and I walked away both stunned and deeply moved. Going in, I was only vaguely aware of the events surrounding British Airways Flight 149. I certainly didn’t expect to be as affected as I was. The film shed light on a moment in history that, while not widely talked about, involved incredible human endurance under terrifying circumstances.
The documentary recounts the events of August 1990, when Flight 149 landed in Kuwait, just as Saddam Hussein’s invasion began. The passengers and crew, unaware of the escalating crisis, suddenly found themselves in the middle of a war zone—and were taken hostage by Iraqi forces. Through a mix of survivor interviews, archival footage, and expert commentary, the film builds a detailed and intensely human account of what they went through.
What hit me hardest were the firsthand accounts from the passengers and crew. Their descriptions of fear, disorientation, and emotional strain were difficult to hear—but they also offered a powerful sense of resilience. Some of the stories, including physical abuse and mental torment, were frankly shocking. It’s one thing to read a headline about hostages during a conflict. It’s another to hear from people who lived it, in their own words.
The film also explores how this situation came to be—raising serious questions about decisions made by British Airways and the UK government. Why the flight was allowed to land despite warnings of military activity remains controversial, and the documentary doesn’t shy away from holding institutions accountable.
The Q&A session added even more depth to the experience following the screening. Hearing from the director, producers, and one of the surviving passengers helped illuminate how much of the story remains unresolved. The discussion revealed that many survivors are still fighting for answers, transparency, and a formal acknowledgment of what happened. It was informative and eye-opening, reinforcing how relevant this story remains.
Flight 149: Hostage of War was one of my most surprising discoveries at SXSW this year. It illuminated a piece of history I barely knew while telling a story that deserves far more attention. This film is one to watch for anyone who values truth-telling and human stories in documentaries.