Hajar al-Aswad, Syria: A ghost town since a 2018 operation to expel jihadists, Hajar al-Aswad near the Syrian capital has returned as the location of a Jackie Chan-produced action film.
The “Home Operation” is inspired by China’s evacuation of Chinese and other foreign nationals from the war in Yemen in 2015, an operation seen as a milestone for Beijing.
Yemen was considered a very dangerous location to shoot and some scenes in the film, supported by an Emirati production company, are being shot in Syria, although the script only mentions a fictional country called “Poman”. Is.
The ruins of Hajar al-Aswad were filled on Thursday with an inspiring crew of actors in Yemeni tribal costume, Syrian extras in uniform and members of the Chinese film crew wearing polo.
Jackie Chan are the main producers, although they have no plans to move to Syria.
The film bills itself as a blockbuster that will glorify the role of Chinese officials in a heroic evacuation.
Speaking to reporters, he was escorted into position when his crew set up their equipment and tanks in hastily changed livery, the director yinshi song The promotional credentials of the film were confirmed.
“It takes the view of diplomats who are Communist Party members, who opened fire on the war-torn country and brought all Chinese compatriots safely to the country’s warship,” he said.
The ambassador of China, one of the few countries to maintain good diplomatic relations with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was present to launch the Syria shootout, which is expected to last several days.
A red banner was hoisted in three languages for the small ceremony and another that read “Peace and Love” was put up in front of a tank.
Hajar al-Aswad, which means “Black Rock” in Arabic, was once a densely populated Damascus suburb located next to the Palestinian refugee camp in Yermuk.
Both regions became major hotspots in the Syrian civil conflict that began in 2011 and were at one point controlled at least partly by the Islamic State group.
The reconquest of both neighborhoods by pro-Syrian forces in May 2018 marks the moment the regime took the entire capital Damascus back under its control.
The swath of Hajar al-Aswad was completely leveled, however, turning the neighborhood into a sinister sprawl of gray, dilapidated buildings.
Some residents have returned to the least damaged parts of Hajar al-Aswad, leaving the rest completely uninhabited.
“The war-ravaged areas in Syria have turned into a film studio. These areas attract filmmakers,” said the director Rawad ShaheenWhich is part of the Syria Crew of the Home operation.
“It is very expensive to build studios similar to these areas, so these areas are treated as low-cost studios,” he said.
The production team says it plans to use several other locations for the film in Syria, where productions from Iran and Russia, both Assad’s allies, have also been shot.
Syria has been the target of international sanctions and is also loaded with non-explosive ordnance, which last year made it the world’s deadliest country for landmine deaths.
Chinese Navy ships carrying out anti-piracy patrols were diverted to Yemen in 2015 after officials at the time said hundreds of people from 10 different countries were trapped in the escalating conflict.
Beijing at the time described the successful operation as a proud moment for its navy, a testament to its humanitarian principles and its growing global reach.
The “Home Operation” is inspired by China’s evacuation of Chinese and other foreign nationals from the war in Yemen in 2015, an operation seen as a milestone for Beijing.
Yemen was considered a very dangerous location to shoot and some scenes in the film, supported by an Emirati production company, are being shot in Syria, although the script only mentions a fictional country called “Poman”. Is.
The ruins of Hajar al-Aswad were filled on Thursday with an inspiring crew of actors in Yemeni tribal costume, Syrian extras in uniform and members of the Chinese film crew wearing polo.
Jackie Chan are the main producers, although they have no plans to move to Syria.
The film bills itself as a blockbuster that will glorify the role of Chinese officials in a heroic evacuation.
Speaking to reporters, he was escorted into position when his crew set up their equipment and tanks in hastily changed livery, the director yinshi song The promotional credentials of the film were confirmed.
“It takes the view of diplomats who are Communist Party members, who opened fire on the war-torn country and brought all Chinese compatriots safely to the country’s warship,” he said.
The ambassador of China, one of the few countries to maintain good diplomatic relations with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was present to launch the Syria shootout, which is expected to last several days.
A red banner was hoisted in three languages for the small ceremony and another that read “Peace and Love” was put up in front of a tank.
Hajar al-Aswad, which means “Black Rock” in Arabic, was once a densely populated Damascus suburb located next to the Palestinian refugee camp in Yermuk.
Both regions became major hotspots in the Syrian civil conflict that began in 2011 and were at one point controlled at least partly by the Islamic State group.
The reconquest of both neighborhoods by pro-Syrian forces in May 2018 marks the moment the regime took the entire capital Damascus back under its control.
The swath of Hajar al-Aswad was completely leveled, however, turning the neighborhood into a sinister sprawl of gray, dilapidated buildings.
Some residents have returned to the least damaged parts of Hajar al-Aswad, leaving the rest completely uninhabited.
“The war-ravaged areas in Syria have turned into a film studio. These areas attract filmmakers,” said the director Rawad ShaheenWhich is part of the Syria Crew of the Home operation.
“It is very expensive to build studios similar to these areas, so these areas are treated as low-cost studios,” he said.
The production team says it plans to use several other locations for the film in Syria, where productions from Iran and Russia, both Assad’s allies, have also been shot.
Syria has been the target of international sanctions and is also loaded with non-explosive ordnance, which last year made it the world’s deadliest country for landmine deaths.
Chinese Navy ships carrying out anti-piracy patrols were diverted to Yemen in 2015 after officials at the time said hundreds of people from 10 different countries were trapped in the escalating conflict.
Beijing at the time described the successful operation as a proud moment for its navy, a testament to its humanitarian principles and its growing global reach.