Selected cinemas; Cert Club Hollywoodgate was made by Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at In August 2021, the US withdrew from Afghanistan after 21 years. The chaotic scenes of a traumatised people trying to flee impending Taliban rule shocked the world, opening the West’s eyes to the realities of rash foreign policy. Hollywoodgate is a remarkable fly-on-the-wall documentary from Egyptian filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at which shadows the Taliban in the aftermath as its sets about reinstating its medieval caliphate.
Assisting it will be a $7bn haul of US weaponry left behind, all of which must be inventoried and restored. With unprecedented access, Nash’at follows a small brigade led by Mawlawi Mansour as they rifle through the spoils and make plans for a victory parade. We also meet a hardline Taliban fighter now being promoted up the ranks in this new Afghanistan.
Tension courses through everything, not only in the stark attitudes of the regime but in the low value they place on life, something you sense Nash’at will know all too well should he step out of line. It is chilling enough to hear Taliban commanders next to their children speak of murdering enemies, or saluting a “suicide bomber” battalion, meaning the eerie score by Volker Bertelmann feels like overkill at times. Four stars Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news.