“Sárkányok Kabul felett” is based on a true story.
From today, Hungarian cinemas are screening Sárkányok Kabul felett (Kites over Kabul), a Hungarian war action film.
The film depicts the multi-day rescue operation carried out by the Hungarian Defence Forces in Kabul in 2021, during which Hungarian soldiers evacuated more than 500 people—including nearly 200 children—from the besieged city.
While this part of the story is true, the filmmakers also added fictional elements, the most significant being the Hungarian female doctor placed at the center of the plot.
Sárkányok Kabul felett was produced with a budget of nearly 5.8 billion forints (15,2 million EUR), mostly from public funds and government support. It is therefore no surprise that many consider it a political propaganda film that serves to promote both the Hungarian army and the Hungarian government.
At the same time, critics in the independent media acknowledge that the film is professionally made, with visuals reminiscent of higher-budget Hollywood productions. Thanks to strong acting performances, the characters also feel authentic.
Ultimately, of course, the audience will have the final say. (On the first day, the film holds a 6.9 rating on IMDb.)
All scenes were filmed in Hungary at a total of 15 locations. Interestingly, during production, two pieces of military equipment went missing—an incident that remains under investigation.
What really happened in Kabul?
After the withdrawal of U.S. troops, the Taliban launched a rapid offensive across Afghanistan. The Afghan army lost external support, its morale collapsed, and in many places troops abandoned their bases without a fight. The structure of the Afghan state began to crumble, triggering a chain-reaction collapse during the summer of 2021. Kabul was ultimately captured with almost no resistance.
The airport became an island of survival
As Taliban fighters entered the city, more and more people tried to flee the country. The area around the airport instantly turned into a refugee camp, a military zone, a diplomatic center, and the site of a humanitarian crisis.
Panic spread through the streets. Soldiers and diplomats from Western countries raced against time to evacuate their own citizens and the Afghan colleagues who had assisted them.
This was one of the largest non-combat evacuation operations in recent decades, involving American, British, German, French, Turkish, Italian, and Hungarian forces alike.
Operation “Shaman Shield”
Hungary’s presence was unique because the small but well-coordinated contingent was able to respond quickly to the shifting situation and evacuated several individuals whom other nations’ forces had been unable to extract safely.
The evacuation, named Operation Shaman Shield, represented a completely new situation for the Hungarian troops. After previously predictable mentoring and security tasks, they suddenly had to focus on rapid response and rescue.
Amid the chaos at Kabul airport, the Hungarian Defence Forces had to organize the safe evacuation of stranded Hungarians, allied citizens, and Afghan assistants.
Working closely with allied command, the Hungarian contingent carried out its mission with discipline and straightforward, practical solutions—making the evacuation efficient and well-organized.
(Source: Hungarian State News Agency, Port.hu, Mult-kor.hu Historical Portal)
