Hollywoodgate 13 L

Immediately after the US pullout from Afghanistan, Taliban forces occupied the Hollywood Gate complex, which is claimed to be a former CIA base in Kabul.

Labia Tickets Bioscope Tickets

Awards

Adelaide FF (2023) – Winner: International Documentary Award: Best Documentary

Carthage FF (2023) – Nominated: Tanit d'Or: Documentary Feature Film

DocPoint โ€“ Helsinki Doc FF (2024) – Nominated: YLE Award: Best International Documentary

Docville (2024) – Nominated: Jury Award: Best Topics Documentary

Dokfest Munchen (2024) – Nominated: German Documentary Film Music Award

El Gouna FF (2023) – Winner: Golden Star: Feature Documentary Competition, FIPRESCI

Full Frame Doc FF (2024) – Winner: Full Frame Grand Jury Award

Hong Kong Int’l FF (2024) – Nominated: Golden Firebird Award: Documentary

Luxembourg City FF (2024) – Nominated: Documentary Award (Special Mention)

Prague One World FF (2024) – Nominated: Best Film Award: Documentary

Seattle Int’l FF (2024) – Nominated: Documentary Competition Award

Stockholm FF (2023) – Nominated: Bronze Horse: Best Documentary

Venice FF (2023) – Nominated: Luigi De Laurentiis Award: Best Debut Film

Verzio Int’l Human Rights Doc FF (2023) – Winner: Best Human Rights Film (Special Mention)

Woodstock FF (2023) – Nominated: Best Documentary Feature

Zurich FF (2023) – Nominated: Golden Eye: Best Film in Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria

13 L Feature International
African Premiere SA Premiere

Screenings โ€“ CT
Screenings โ€“ JHB

Director(s):

Ibrahim Nash’at

Country:

Germany | United States

Year:

2023

Duration:

91 min

Language(s):

English | Persian Pashtu

RATING:

13 L

hollywoodgate_poster_portrait Poster
Film Poster

When the US Army withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban immediately took over, declaring themselves the de facto government of the country. Just days later, Egyptian documentary maker Ibrahim Nash’at travelled with his camera and an interpreter to document the transition to Taliban rule and the organisation’s transformation from a guerilla movement into a military regime. Having miraculously received permission to film from the Taliban’s leadership, Nash’at shadows a commander who has taken over Hollywoodgate, a ransacked and abandoned CIA base. But that permission is granted on the condition that the image he presents of the Taliban is the one they want. Given these life-threatening constraints, Nash’at simply films things as they are, which is enough to puncture any possibility of the film being functional propaganda. A brave and complex work, Hollywoodgate is an indictment of both Taliban rule and the American occupation that preceded it.