Walter Hollander Walter Hollander, a skilled caterer, and his wife Marion Hollander take a vacation with their daughter Susan Hollander on a flight bound for Athens. Their trip takes a sharp turn when the plane is hijacked and rerouted to the country of Vulgaria, a place split off behind the Iron Curtain. While the trio waits for clearance to resume their journey, a casual excursion outside the plane turns into trouble: Marion, eager to capture memories, wanders into a restricted area, drawing the attention of the local secret police who mistake them for spies. The arrest is swift, and a squad with machine guns is sent under the order of Krojack to detain the Hollanders.
The family makes a dash for safety and slips into the car of the American ambassador, hoping to reach sanctuary. They find themselves sheltering at the U.S. Embassy, but the ambassador is absent, leaving only his somewhat inept son Axel Magee Axel Magee to handle the asylum request. Outside, picketers protest the embassy’s actions, while inside the walls the Hollanders grapple with an already chaotic situation. The tension thickens when Susan, who has begun to feel drawn to Axel, experiences a complicated mix of affection and fear amid the political drama.
Marion, ever practical and meticulous, turns the embassy into a spotless domestic space, scrubbing and tidying as if it were her own kitchen. Walter, meanwhile, tries to communicate with the outside world through long-distance calls, only to receive bad news: his catering business has become entangled in a food poisoning scandal, threatening to jeopardize not just his reputation but their safety as well. The family must weigh their options as Axel clings to the hope that a powerful Arab Sheik might intervene on their behalf.
Yet the situation intensifies when the charismatic but dangerous Sultan Sultan begins to show a dangerous interest in Susan, a development that pushes Walter to his breaking point. In a tense moment of defiance, he ejects the Sultan from the embassy, signaling that the Hollanders will not be used as bargaining chips in this political chess game.
With time running short, Axel proposes a bold plan: host a lavish embassy party and disguise the Hollanders among the guests as they attempt to slip out of Vulgaria unnoticed. The plan gains an ally in Father Drobney Father Drobney, an eccentric rabbi whose linguistic talents and humor help them navigate border checkpoints and checkpoints of conscience alike. Drobney’s knowledge of the local language proves invaluable as the trio—Walter, Marion, and their new ally—work toward a getaway.
As the night of the party unfolds, the embassy buzzes with diplomats, guests, and the underlying sense of danger. Susan remains behind for the moment, expressing a desire to marry Axel and to stay within the protective walls of the embassy, a choice that weighs heavily on the family as they consider the cost of safety versus freedom. The escape climaxes in a dramatic, nerve-wracking dash: Walter, Marion, and Father Drobney flee Vulgaria aboard a rickety biplane, their flight a testament to stubborn hope and stubborn resilience.
Along the way, the story winds through a tapestry of characters who color the escape with humor, tension, and occasional tenderness. The team’s unlikely alliance—built from necessity, loyalty, and a shared longing for safety—drives them forward as they confront a world where politics, loyalty, and personal desires collide. The film closes on a note of precarious optimism, leaving open questions about what comes next for a family who dared to challenge a hostile regime in order to reclaim their future.
