“Dragons Over Kabul:” The Hungarian Rescue Mission Comes to the Big Screen

The war action drama Dragons Over Kabul, which recounts the Hungarian Armed Forces’ 2021 rescue mission in Kabul, is expected to hit theaters at the end of November and is currently in post-production, reported Honvédelem.

“After the Americans withdrew from Afghanistan overnight in 2021, the Hungarian Armed Forces General Staff and senior political leaders decided to rescue Hungarians and Afghan collaborators from the country. In the process, several NATO member states asked us to bring out their citizens as well. This remarkable mission provided the idea for the film,” stated Tamás Lajos, the film’s producer, on Monday on Kossuth Radio’s “Good Morning, Hungary!” program.

Lajos recalled that the Hungarian Armed Forces rescued a total of 540 people, including 180 women and children, in several rounds of the operation called ‘Sámán Pajzs’ (‘Shaman Shield’). He emphasized that while they made a feature film, they took great care to ensure the authenticity of the military details.

The film’s subject matter is challenging, but it tells an important story in an entertaining and relatable way. The creative team includes professionals who worked on the Semmelweis movie and the Aranyélet television series, who have serious experience, expertise, and practice in creating action-packed films,”

emphasized Lajos.

He noted that the film’s director, Zsombor Dyga, and cinematographer Tamás Dobos created the visual world of Dragons Over Kabul with amazing visuals. He added that he hopes the film will be powerful and captivating. Lajos reported that the Hungarian Armed Forces and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, headed by Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, had provided professional support for the production from the very beginning and were committed to the making of the film.

Physical fitness played a role in the selection of the actors, and our professional consultant, First Lieutenant Szilveszter Pálinkás, provided significant assistance in this regard,”

said the producer.

Lajos stated on M1 news channel that the film aims to show the dedication, heroism, and patriotism of Hungarian soldiers, as well as their service to their homeland and comrades. “The ‘Sámán Pajzs’ operation was classified, so we were not privy to sensitive information, but they shared the story on which the film is based with us and supported us with great dedication,” he added.

As mentioned, the actors took part in a training program before filming, during which they learned the military movements and maneuvers required for the film. A military expert was present throughout the shoot and worked closely with the crew.

“Every single frame of Dragons Over Kabul was shot in Hungary; we had to abandon the originally planned location in North Africa due to costs. We managed to shoot everything locally, and the backgrounds and mountains surrounding Kabul will be added to the film during the post-production process,” noted Lajos.

The producer also mentioned that emotions play a significant role in the film, and a romantic subplot has been woven into the story: the female lead is a doctor who develops feelings for one of the soldiers. The screenplay for Dragons Over Kabul, distributed by Forum Hungary, was written by Áron Horváth, with Gábor Jászberényi and Blanka Mészáros in the leading roles. The film is supported by the National Film Institute, produced by Szupermodern Stúdió, and co-produced by Sárkányok Produkció Kft. and the Media Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA).

Via honvédelem.hu; Featured photo: HM Zrínyi Nonprofit Kft.