Just days after the U.S. Army’s controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at, with an interpreter by his side, ventures into Kabul. His mission is to document a Taliban group taking control of a former CIA base nicknamed “Hollywoodgate.” It remains unclear, and frankly unfathomable, how Nash’at secured permission to film under the new regime. The opening scenes depict the chaotic aftermath of the abrupt exit of the Americans, who abandon a staggering $7 billion worth of military equipment. What then emerges is a bizarre and disturbing picture of the Taliban leadership, men who vacillate between almost comical incompetence, menace, sycophancy, and posturing. Nash’at shadows the ambitious lieutenant M.J. Mukhtar and his braggadocious superior, Mawlawi Mansour, who heads the air force. Both men seem concerned about how they will be portrayed in the film, raising the question: is this truly how the Taliban want the world to perceive them? Despite the tight focus on the regime, the desperate situation of Afghan citizens and the true cost of America’s war linger in the shadows. PB

Filmmaker Q&A following screening