Egyptian filmmaker and journalist Ibrahim Nash’at takes viewers behind the scenes of the Taliban’s first year back in power.
Front Row Filmed Entertainment has announced its recent acquisition of Ibrahim Nash’at’s feature documentary Hollywoodgate. The film is set for a limited theatrical release across the MENA region in the coming months.
Speaking about the documentary, Gianluca Chakra, CEO, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, said: “We believe that Hollywoodgate is a crucial documentary that sheds light on the ongoing struggles within Afghanistan. It is our responsibility to bring socially conscious films to the forefront, and Hollywoodgate provides an essential perspective on the complex realities faced by the Afghan people. This film aligns with our mission to support and distribute thought-provoking and impactful cinema across the MENA region.”
Hollywoodgate delves into the chaotic aftermath of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. The documentary begins days after the last US plane leaves Afghan soil, capturing the Taliban’s takeover of an American base in Kabul known as Hollywood Gate, which was reputed to be a secret CIA station. There they find a portion of the over $7bn in American weaponry left in the country.
Directed by Ibrahim Nash’at, Hollywoodgate follows Mawlawi Mansour, the new head of Afghanistan’s air force whose father was killed by Americans, as he orders his soldiers to inventory and repair the abandoned weaponry. The film also highlights Mukhtar, a former Taliban fighter aspiring to build a high-ranking military career and avenge the war.
Hollywoodgate follows Mawlawi Mansour and Mukhtar for a year as the Taliban transforms from a fundamentalist militia into a heavily armed military regime preparing for war beyond Afghanistan’s borders. Nash’at, an Egyptian journalist granted unique but fraught access to Afghanistan, documents what the Taliban will allow him to see, capturing deeply revealing moments that cut to the core of the group’s identity.
The documentary has received critical acclaim and extensive media coverage, premiering at Venice in Europe and Telluride in the US. It has been featured at various festivals, winning nominations and awards at the Zurich Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Luxemburg Film Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival and El Gouna Film Festival. Prominent publications like Indiewire, The Guardian, Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily, Rolling Stone, The Film Stage and The Film Verdict, as well as Arabic media outlets such as Shourouk News, Middle East Eye, AlAraby and Al Jazeera, have covered the film.
Nash’at expressed his gratitude for his team of creative collaborators, who have made films he deeply admires such as Navalny, Of Fathers and Sons, The Edge of Democracy, Fire of Love and Honeyland. “My hope is that for the first time, Hollywoodgate can expose the Taliban from the inside out and help return attention to the plight of the Afghan people.”
Nash’at shared his personal connection and motivation for making Hollywoodgate: “I grew up in Cairo, Egypt, and from a young age, I was exposed to many who portrayed the Taliban as heroes. In my adolescence, I began to question this belief, and that questioning led me to a career in journalism. When the Taliban came to power (again), I was stunned. How could this happen? And what would now happen to the people of Afghanistan? It haunted me. Because of my background filming world leaders, I wondered if I could gain access to the Taliban. If so, this time I pledged that I would work independently: I would show the world what the Taliban wanted me to see and also, more importantly, what I saw.”
Hollywoodgate will have its theatrical release in New York on July 19 and in Los Angeles on July 26, with further expansion to other cities across the USA. In the UK, it will be released on August 16.
