Tanks roll through the streets, shots are fired, explosions – for the people of Syria in many places 11 years of daily life. But in a city near Damascus, just that is being reenacted. In the former IS stronghold of Hajar al-Aswad, back under Assad control since May 2018, a film by China’s probably most famous Hollywood exporter, Jackie Chan, is being shot. Irony: the film is actually set in Yemen, but filming there would have been too dangerous…
Incidentally, Chan (68) will not be in front of the camera in the film “Home Operation”, this time he plays the role of producer. The plot suggests that the film has little to fear from Chinese censorship: it deals with the rescue of Chinese civilians from Yemen during the civil war in 2015. Beijing liked to describe the operation as a “milestone”, the liberation of the Chinese was duly celebrated. in the state media.
Filming in Yemen would have been too dangerous
Ironically, shooting in Yemen would be too dangerous due to the ongoing fighting, so it was decided to shoot in a Syrian ghost town, which was once the stronghold of the Islamic State terrorist militia. Located just ten kilometers from Damascus, Hajar al-Aswad was recaptured by ruler Bashar al-Assad’s forces in May 2018 using massive amounts of military equipment.
The inhabitants of the city left their homes at the time, only a few returned to the ghost town. Chan’s film team began filming with a “peace ceremony” in the presence of the Chinese ambassador. China maintains intensive diplomatic relations with Syria. Assad would have visited the location himself.
Another film project in the ruins of war?
Incidentally, “Home Operation” should not be the only production that wants to use the war ruins of Syria as a backdrop. As crew member Rawad Shahin told AFP news agency, there are already questions from film companies in Russia and Iran: “It is expensive to build something like this in a studio. Places like this city attract film producers.” From this point of view, the Syrian regime may not be particularly motivated to invest in reconstruction.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
