“Hollywoodgate”

“Hollywoodgate” offers a chilling, immersive look into the Taliban’s world after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The film, captured with unprecedented access by filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at, was shot over the course of a year and documents life inside a former CIA base in Kabul that’s now controlled by Taliban forces. Nash’at’s story follows head of the Taliban air force Mawlawi Mansour and the ambitious fighter M.J. Mukhtar as they attempt to restore billions of dollars worth of abandoned American military equipment.

The film features a dual narrative that depicts what the Taliban intended the filmmaker to show, and the candid, unscripted moments that reveal a deeper, more disturbing truth. The footage is a stark portrayal of the extremist mindset, showing men determined to reshape Afghanistan’s future even as they fumble through their new responsibilities with an alarming mix of incompetence and menace. The Taliban’s obsession with restoring weapons to use in future conquests contrasts sharply with the dire situation of ordinary Afghans, whose plight remains largely hidden due to the Nash’at’s restricted access. It’s chilling, fascinating, and terrifying all at once.

The film offers welcome (albeit strange feeling) moments of dark humor that balance chilling scenes where squads of soldiers set off to capture dissidents. Scenes of direct violence and torture are thankfully not shown, but the tension from all of this implied brutality is heartbreaking.

The internal dynamics of the Taliban is startling too, with leaders who portray an image of being in total control yet deep down are afraid and awkward. Seeing young boys training to become fighters is deeply upsetting, but it’s a fact of life for those living under Taliban rule.

Considering the limited access and the evolving situation in Afghanistan, “Hollywoodgate” is of course an incomplete picture of what’s going on in that part of the world. However, it is a fascinating documentary that offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain of extremism.

By: Louisa Moore