Movistar Plus Series ‘La Unidad Kabul’ Examines Roots of Terror in War-Ravaged Afghanistan Post U.S. Occupation
Spanish SVOD platform Movistar+ wowed viewers at the Málaga Film Festival on Tuesday with the first episode of “La Unidad Kabul,” the third season of its special police unit thriller.
Spanish agents are currently in Afghanistan on a mission to find an infiltrator containing information about possible attacks in Europe.
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The U.S. has ended its 20-year-old occupation of Afghanistan and the elite unit is now in the war-torn nation. Kabul will be taken over by the Taliban. Spanish authorities begin evacuation of civilians. Agents get involved in clashes among the Taliban, Mujahideen (ISIS-K), and other forces.
Speaking in Málaga, Dani de la Torre, who created the show with Alberto Marini, said it was important for the creative team to focus specifically on Afghanistan this season. “It was not that long ago – in 2021 that the West abandoned Afghanistan and the Taliban took control of the country.
Because “La Unidad” has focused on terrorism in Europe since its inception, de la Torre said it was also important to look at the origins of terrorism, where it comes from and how it develops.
He also noted that Spanish authorities were capable of bringing many humanitarian aid workers and former police officers to Spain. It can be helpful to put the spotlight on Afghanistan in order to understand some of the European problems that have their roots far away.
“A lot of times the problems that come here have their origins in other countries, in other cultures. … It’s also very important to know where the problems come from in order to solve them. Likewise, it’s important to look at how the Taliban took power, how they are violating the rights of people in Afghanistan, particularly women.”
He said that the series being set in Afghanistan allows viewers to see all the happenings in Afghanistan.
Season 3 introduces the viewer to the origin of terrorism in Europe. The first two seasons focused on the threat. “Why do these things happen? They arrive as refugees. After arriving, they are often used politically, and eventually, they are victims of conflicts. What is the reason for these conflicts? We went to the site to see where conflicts start. They have nothing there – it’s a terrible situation. They can lose their rights, and even their lives. And sometimes they come here and they have nothing to lose and have nothing to do.”
De la Torre pointed out that the West was also responsible for the situation, stressing that the U.S.’ 20-year occupation allowed Western corporations to exploit Afghanistan, from pharmaceutical companies harvesting opium to mining companies taking valuable minerals. “When they are interested, they are there. When they lose interest, they leave.”
“Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq – we have so many examples of countries that have been ravaged with our participation. These mistakes come back to haunt you. It’s happened here in Spain.”
“La Unidad Kabul” features series mainstays Nathalie Poza, Marian Álvarez, Michel Noher and Fariba Sheikhan and new cast members Mehdi Regragui, Shabnam Rahimi and Reyhane Noori.
Sold internationally by Beta Film, “La Unidad” is available on HBO and was acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America, TV3 Group Baltics and Discovery Discovery.
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