{{About|the 2010 Russian film|the 2020 Indian film of the same name|Kandahar (2010 film)}} {{Short description|2010 Russian film directed by Andrey Kavun}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox film | name = Kandagar | image = Kandagar.jpg | caption = Film poster | director = Andrey Kavun | producer = {{ubl|Valeriy Todorovskiy|Ilya Neretin}} | screenplay = Andrey Kavun | starring = {{ubl| *Aleksandr Baluev *Vladimir Mashkov *Andrei Panin }} | music = Richard Horowitz<br>Darin Sysoev | cinematography = | editing = Gabriella Cristiani | studio = | distributor = | released = {{Film date|2010|02|04|df=y}} | runtime = 103 minutes | country = Russia | language = Russian<br/>Dari | budget = $7 million | gross = $15 million }} '''''Kandagar''''' ({{langx|ru|Кандагар}}; also known as '''''Kandahar''''') is a 2010 Russian historical action film detailing the escape of a Russian crew from the captivity of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in 1996. The film stars some of Russia's most famous actors, Vladimir Mashkov, Andrei Panin and Alexander Baluyev.<ref name= "Bratersky p. ">{{cite web|last = Bratersky|first = Alexander|date = February 9, 2010|url = http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?story_id=30782&action_id=2|title = Afghan Escape Film 'Kandahar' Pulls in Crowds|publisher = The St. Petersburg Times|accessdate = August 10, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100214055435/http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=30782|archive-date = February 14, 2010|url-status = dead}}</ref> The movie is based on the Russian pilot Vladimir Sharpatov's diary.<ref name="Stack">{{cite news |date= February 12, 2010|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-feb-12-la-fg-russia-film-qa12-2010feb12-story.html|title = Q & A with Russian film director Andrey Kavun|newspaper = LA Times| access-date = August 10, 2010 | last=Sergei L. Loiko and Megan K. Stack}}</ref> The film was released in Russia on April 4, 2010.<ref name="kandagarfilm">{{cite web|year = 2010|url = http://www.kandagarfilm.ru/press/en/|title = kandagar film|publisher = kandagarfilm.ru|accessdate = August 10, 2010|last = kandagarfilm|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101209223106/http://www.kandagarfilm.ru/press/en/|archive-date = December 9, 2010}}</ref> The Andrey Kavun film is the first to depict Russians in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal from the country.<ref name= "Bratersky p. "/>
==Background== On August 3, 1995 a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from the Taliban's air force forced down a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 plane with seven Russian nationals on board. The aircraft was forced to land at a Taliban controlled airfield near Kandahar. The men were held prisoners for more than one year by the Taliban which controlled about half of Afghanistan at the time during the Afghan Civil War. The movie follows their captivity, day-to-day survival, and escape from Taliban.
Unexpected negligence from Russian diplomats caused the prisoners to take steps toward their freedom themselves. The captain was forced to teach Taliban fighters to fly the plane, and the rest of the hostages were allowed to visit their aircraft for maintenance.
At some point the Russian crew worked out the escape plan, and during one of the maintenance visits for landing gear work, they were able to gain control over the plane.<ref name="AP">{{cite news|title=Daredevil airmen receive warm homecoming|last=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2HMVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6871,5168910&dq=russian+taliban+plane&hl=en|publisher=The Register-Guard|date=August 19, 1996|accessdate=August 10, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Despite interception efforts by Taliban base guards, which caused the aircraft to start the takeoff having only half of the runway, they were able to take off. Despite several technical difficulties immediately after takeoff, they finally gained a safe cruising altitude and speed.
==Cast== * Aleksandr Baluev – Vladimir Ivanovich Sharpatov, pilot * Vladimir Mashkov – Serega, co-pilot * Andrei Panin – Alexander Gotov, navigator * Alexandr Golubev – Vitek, boardwriter * Bohdan Beniuk – Roman Vakulenko, flight engineer * Aleksandr Robak – Mark
==See also== * ''The 9th Company''
==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|1272018|Kandagar}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101209223106/http://www.kandagarfilm.ru/press/en/ Official site]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kandahar}} Category:2010 films Category:2010 Russian films Category:2010 Russian-language films Category:2010s historical action films Category:2010s action war films Category:2010 war films Category:Russian aviation films Category:Russian historical action films Category:Russian historical drama films Category:Russian action war films Category:Russian action drama films Category:Russian war drama films Category:Russian-language historical action films Category:Russian-language historical drama films Category:Russian-language action drama films Category:Russian-language war drama films Category:Films set in Afghanistan Category:Thriller films based on actual events Category:Films directed by Andrey Kavun Category:Films set in 1995 Category:Films set in 1996