Movie Box | Operation Kabul
Inspired by the chaotic events of August 2021, when the international community and civilians rushed to leave Afghanistan as the Taliban took over, Operation Kabul is a 2026 Hungarian War drama film.
Directed by Zsombor Dyga, the film depicts the situation around the Kabul International Airport, where the Hungarian army tries to maintain order, and Hungarian soldiers attempt to evacuate civilians.
Gábor Jászberényi plays Lt. Balint Kerekes, a commander whose own personal mission becomes even more difficult when he learns that Eszter, a doctor and a friend from his past, is still outside the airport.
The unit then has to make a difficult decision: whether to risk their own lives and move beyond the walls of the airport to try to find her.
The film is released in the U.S. on VOD and digital platforms on November 3, 2026, by Well Go USA Entertainment (Todos os Nossos Filmes).
The Hungarian National Film Institute describes the film as showing a special unit of the Hungarian Defence Forces rushing to evacuate Hungarian citizens from Afghanistan. (NFI)
For audiences finding the film through Movies box searches, it's important to set expectations of the film's historical basis and whether it's a documentary.
Operation Kabul, at its core, is an action movie, not a documentary.
Lieutenant Balint Has a Personal Reason to Leave the Airport
Lieutenant Balint Kerekes, played by Gabor Jaszberenyi, is one of the soldiers attempting to assist in the evacuation.
Balint learns that one of his old friends, Eszter, a doctor, is still in Kabul.
Eszter is played by Blanka Meszaros. Zsuzsa Szekely, played by Nora Trokan, and Fariha, played by Klarissza Lakatos, are other characters in the story.
Instead of confining the story to the events that happen in the airport, it sends Balint and his unit back to the rest of Kabul.
As a result, there are two interconnected objectives of the story.
On a wider scale, there is the need to assist civilians flee from Afghanistan, and on a personal level, there is the need for Balint to find Eszter before it's too late.
The Story is Based on Operation Shaman Shield
The film takes inspiration from Operation Shaman Shield, a real Hungarian evacuation operation.
During the international withdrawals in August 2021, Hungary also joined other allied countries to evacuate personnel from Kabul.
Well Go USA identifies the inspiration for the film in its promotional materials in the U.S. (No ReRuns)
However, the film takes a historical situation and constructs a familiar dramatic narrative from it.
As a result, viewers can presume that not all characters portrayed in the film are actual historical characters; that not all conversations depicted actually took place; and not all individuals depicted were actually rescued.
The broad framework of the event is historical; the film, using fictional characters and relationships, seeks to create a focused story in an enormous, almost chaotic event.
For viewers who reach the film via searches on Movie box.com, this clarifies for them what kind of film Operation Kabul is.
Zsombor Dyga directs the Hungarian production
Zsombor Dyga is the director, while Áron Horváth gets screenplay credit, for Operation Kabul, on Box Office Mojo. (Box Office Mojo)
Tamás Lajos is the producer. Dobos is the cinematographer, and Goldschmidt is the composer. (Box Office Mojo)
The film was released by the production company Szupermodern Filmstúdió in Hungary in 2023, and later in the U.S. (Well Go USA) in 2026.
Its original language is Hungarian.
According to Apple TV, the run time is approximately 1 hour and 37 minutes. Box Office Mojo cites a time of 1 hour and 36 minutes. (Apple TV)
Well Go USA is also releasing an English-dubbed version for the U.S. digital market. (No ReRuns)
The Movie Merges History and Personal Drama
Like many of the characters depicted in Operation Kabul, the focus is on the death and drama of personal loss; however, the real focus is on giving a framework for history's chaos.
As Kabul changes hands, opportunities to evacuate are disappearing. Every choice carries greater weight for the soldiers, and for civilians who want to leave as well.
With Eszter, one of the characters who leaves for Hungary, Bálint has a personal connection to that larger crisis.
Rather than using military strategy to show the withdrawal, the filmmakers demonstrate why the situation matters to the people caught in it using personal relationships.
The Taliban is currently in control of the government of Afghanistan. The political effects of the 2021 collapse are part of an ongoing story rather than history. (AP News)
The film is focused on the evacuation.
Operation Kabul arrives digitally November 3
Operation Kabul will be available on U.S. VOD and digital platforms November 3, 2026, via Well Go USA Entertainment. (Todos os Nossos Filmes)
The confirmed ensemble includes Gábor Jászberényi, Blanka Mészáros, Tamás Borovics, Nóra Trokán, Adrián Samudovszky, Gusztáv Dietz, and Dávid Hajmási as well as others. (Todos os Nossos Filmes)
The film focuses on one of the largest events of 2021 and the consequences of that year's events.
A military unit, already dealing with an enormous evacuation, has a member of their unit decides to undertake a personal mission beyond the airport.
Operation Kabul deals with a personal mission during a large, worldwide event.
Rather than showing the entirety of the Afghanistan war, the film shows a small group of people making urgent decisions while the political and military situation around them is changing every hour.