

On 3 April 2004, during the holiday of Ashura, Iraqi rebels loyal to Shiite leader Muktada As-Sadr, launched an insurgency in the Polish zone. The Poles, together with Bulgarian soldiers and Iraqi police, were given the task of defending City Hall, led by Lieutenant colonel Grzegorz Kaliciak. The clash developed into the biggest Polish engagement since World War II. Not a single allied soldier died, although about 80 insurgents were killed in a counter-attack.
Acting
Topa's exhaustion feels earned, not performed
Practical Effects
Shot in Jordan with authentic Polish military hardware

Director
Krzysztof Łukaszewicz
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Real Kaliciak consulted on set; the 'no casualties' record remains disputed by some military historians who note non-fatal injuries were severe.
One of few Iraq War films from a non-US/UK perspective, it sparked debate in Poland about whether their 'peacekeeping' role was genuinely humanitarian or Bush-era complicity.