Syrian extras, a Chinese film crew: the ghost town of the Damascene suburb of Hajar al-Aswad, from which the Islamic State was ousted in 2018, has turned into an action film set for a production of Hong Kong kung fu star Jackie Chan.
Home Operationwhose storyline only mentions a fictional country called Poman, is inspired by China’s 2015 evacuation of hundreds of Chinese and foreign citizens from war-torn Yemen aboard Chinese navy ships. Beijing then boasted of the success of the operation, underlining its humanitarian role and its growing global influence.
Yemen, the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula and still torn by war, is considered too dangerous and some scenes of the film, co-produced by the United Arab Emirates, are thus shot in Syria.
A motley crew of actors in traditional Yemeni attire, Syrian extras and members of the Chinese film crew were on hand from Thursday for a shoot that is expected to last several days.
Jackie Chan will not travel to Syria to participate in the filming, but he is the main producer of what the synopsis of the film presents as a blockbuster supposed to salute the role of the Chinese authorities in a heroic evacuation.
Director Yinxi Song confirms the film’s laudatory intent. “We step into the shoes of Communist Party diplomats, who braved a deluge of bullets in a war-torn country and brought all Chinese compatriots back to a homeland warship, safe and sound”he explained to the press, as his team moved to Hajar al-Aswad, and tanks took up positions for filming.
The Chinese ambassador, one of the few countries to have maintained good diplomatic relations with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, was present for the launch of the filming during the a small ceremony. Peace & Love (Peace and loveEd), could we read for the occasion on a banner hung on the front of a tank.
Hajar al-Aswad was once a densely populated suburb south of Damascus, near the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp. Both areas were the scene of fierce fighting during the war and were at least partially controlled by the jihadist group Islamic State.
The reconquest of the two neighborhoods by Syrian pro-government forces in May 2018 marked the resumption of the whole of Damascus by the regime. But whole sections of Hajar al-Aswad have been completely razed, turning the neighborhood into a soulless jungle of gray buildings. A few residents returned to the less damaged parts of the city, leaving the rest completely uninhabited.
“War-ravaged areas have turned into studios. These areas attract film producers”explains co-director Rawad Chahine, who is part of the Syrian film crew. “Building studios similar to these areas is very expensive, so they are considered low-cost studios”he adds.
Since 2011, Syria has already attracted several foreign productions, notably from Russia and Iran, two allied countries of the Syrian regime. The film crew of Home Operation plans to film at multiple locations around the country.
Syria, however, remains targeted by a series of international sanctions and anti-personnel mines, spread across the country, are wreaking havoc there, making it the most affected in the world by these explosive devices according to the UN. The conflict in Syria has claimed half a million lives and displaced millions.