Home Operation, directed by Song Yinxi, is inspired by the evacuation of hundreds of Chinese nationals from Yemen in 2015 during the civil conflict there and is the first joint venture between Chinese and Emirati producers. Agence France-Presse reported that Song said the film was intended to glorify the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): “It needs the perspective of diplomats who are members of the Communist Party, who braved the hail of bullets in a war-torn country and safely brought all the Chinese countrymen to the country’s warship unscathed.’ Photos from the film’s set show Chinese crew and actors working among ruined and dilapidated buildings, a tank and local extras wearing Yemeni-style clothing. Feng Biao, China’s ambassador to Syria, appeared at a ceremony to start filming. The New Arab quoted Syrian journalist Fared al-Mahlool as saying: “It is a shame to shoot such films in the ruins of Syrian houses destroyed by the Assad regime, Russia and Iran… the Chinese fascist regime is an ally of Syria and they are trying to whitewash their crimes in actions like this.” Charles Lister, director of the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program, said on social media: “1,000 if not 10,000 died at the hands of the #Assad regime and later #ISIS in al-Hajar al-Aswad. Exploiting it for money – for a film that praises #China and includes facilitating the #Syrian regime is in terrible taste.” Al-Hajar al-Aswad is located 4 kilometers south of Damascus, near the former Yarmouk refugee camp. In 2012, at the beginning of the Syrian civil war, the area was a stronghold for the anti-government rebels of the Free Syrian Army. in 2015, however, the surrounding area was largely captured by the Islamic State. After three years of fighting, the area was captured by government forces in 2018, with the help of Palestinian militias and Russian airstrikes. Throughout the conflict, China maintained diplomatic support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hong Kong-born Chan has a history of supporting the CCP, telling a conference of business leaders in 2009: “Gradually I’m starting to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If they don’t control us, we will do whatever we want.”
