A ghost town since a 2018 Syrian operation to flush out jihadists, Hajar al-Aswad found new purpose as the setting for a Jackie Chan-produced action movie. "Home Operation" is inspired by China's evacuation of Chinese and other foreign citizens from the war in Yemen, an operation that was seen as a landmark for Beijing. The ruins of Hajar al-Aswad on Thursday filled with a motley crew of actors in Yemeni tribal attire, Syrian extras in uniform and polo-wearing Chinese film crew members. Jackie Chan is the main producer of what the film's synopsis pitches as a blockbuster that will glorify the role of the Chinese authorities in a heroic evacuation. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES