Dragons over Kabul is a fictionalised film based on the real-life story of heroic Hungarian soldiers and their 2021 military rescue operation, Shaman Shield. In 2021, the Hungarian Defence Forces pulled 540 people, including 180 children, out of Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of NATO forces. Áron Horváth penned the script.
The filmmakers intend to make not only a thrilling action film with cathartic scenes and dramatic conflicts, but also a heart-wrenching story based on real events, showing the heroic struggle of Hungarian soldiers who fearlessly stood their ground.
The film features 10 main actors (including Gábor Jászberényi, Blanka Mészáros, Tamás Borovics, Dávid Hajmási, Gusztáv Dietz, Nóra Trokán, Zsombor Ertl and András Stohl) and 25 supporting actors.
Tamás Lajos of Szupermodern Stúdió is producing with support from the National Film Institute – Hungary (NFI), additional professional support from the Ministry of Defence and the Hungarian Defence Forces, and in partnership with Sárkányok Produkció Kft., and the Media Services Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA).
The overall budget of the production is around 14.5 m EUR / 5.8 md HUF.
"Every frame of Dragons over Kabul was shot in Hungary, and we had to cancel the originally planned location in North Africa because of the cost. We were able to shoot everything at home, and the backgrounds and the mountains surrounding Kabul are being incorporated into the film during postproduction," producer Tamás Lajos told FNE.
After extensive preparations, starting from August 2024, the film was shot for 47 days in more than 15 stunning Hungarian locations by cinematographer Tamás Dobos. During the shooting, a military camp, a hospital, a command centre, an airport and a street in Kabul were among the sets built by Balázs Hujber, production designer.
Before the shooting, the actors attended a few days of training, during which they learned the military movements needed for the film, added the producer.
Click HERE to see the first teaser of the film.
Production Information:
Producer:
Szupermodern Stúdió (Hungary)
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Credits:
Director: Zsombor Dyga
Scriptwriter: Áron Horváth
DoP: Tamás Dobos
Editors: Béla Barsi, Júlia Hack
Production designer: Balázs Hujber
Costume designer: László Donkó
Main cast: Gábor Jászberényi, Blanka Mészáros, Tamás Borovics, Dávid Hajmási, Gusztáv Dietz, Nóra Trokán, Zsombor Ertl, András Stohl
