Closing the chapter of a twenty-year military engagement, the United States retreated from Afghanistan in August 2021. The swift retreat mimicked the aggressive invasion that started two decades ago. The Taliban resumed power, returning to the nation’s capital, Kabul, with negligible opposition only a fortnight after their initial appearance.
Egyptian correspondent Ibrahim Nash’at, stationed in Berlin and affiliated with Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, and Voice of America, observed as the US evacuated its embassy. Uncertainty filled his mind regarding the country’s future.
As an immediate consequence of the Taliban’s take-over, a refugee crisis surged with Afghan citizens fleeing en masse. Coupled with matters surrounding the Taliban’s governing capabilities, Nash’at ventured on a discreet expedition within the self-proclaimed Islamic emirate. However, the ambitious endeavour was a whisker away from being scrapped.
“On my arrival, I had a mediator ready to liaise between me and the Taliban,” Nash’at recounts. “He’d even acquired a translator from the group. But the moment I set foot within the borders, he vanished without a trace. I tried reaching out to him countlessly but there was no response. Initially, I was deserted with only the translator, and we made attempts to get the project running. However, it proved unsuccessful. I confided to the translator my financial strain, intending to leave the country. He expressed sympathy and suggested creating a small-scale report instead.”
Their assignment? Investigating Hollywoodgate, an abandoned American military base startled by its flamboyant title, harbouring a staggering $7 billion haul of US military apparatus, including aircraft, weapons, medical supplies, and even Jägermeister. A stockpile of discarded vehicles and equipment could be restored, given proper care and effort.
“From the moment my eyes met Hollywoodgate, I knew I had stumbled upon the narrative I was destined to present, the cinematic documentary I was to manifest,” Nash’at declares. “I resolved to utilise all resources to remain within this set. That’s when I met Mukhtar.”
For permission to film him, Mukhtar, a determined Taliban lieutenant, conditioned Nash’at to first get an approval from his superior, Malawi Mansour, who happened to be the leader of the emerging Taliban-ruled air force in Afghanistan. Mansour led his forces in procuring an inventory and amending anything they could from what they referred to as the “treasure trove,” as Nash’at diligently captured scenes on camera.
Despite enjoying remarkable access over the course of a year, Nash’at was limited by numerous restrictions. He was neither allowed to film outside the compound, nor to engage with Afghan citizens for interviews. The Taliban commander established a chilling caveat for Nash’at that if his motives were sinister, death was imminent.
Interacting with numerous leaders was a challenging necessity for Nash’at. The process was chaotic with Mansour, the highest leader, at the top. Requesting Mansour to be part of the film was initially hassle-free, but maintaining access progressively became complex and tense. Despite Taliban’s initial openness and promises about women’s liberation, labelled as ‘Taliban 2.0′, maintaining the access was becoming difficult. Each time things appeared to be smoothing out, they ended up getting complicated, and the whole process had to be restarted. However, Nash’at managed to keep going eventually making some headway.
Working in politically volatile zones was usual for Odessa Rae, recognised for her Oscar and Bafta-winning production endeavours including the documentary about Navalny. Rai, collaborating with director David Henry Gerson, had documented the plights of Syrian artists displaced by civil war in “The Story Won’t Die” (2021), and profiled Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, through the documentary “Defiant” the preceding year. Still, Nash’at’s precarious voyage into Taliban-dominated Afghanistan for Hollywoodgate proved to be the most nerve-wrecking venture for Rae thus far.
The Canadian producer conveyed grave concerns about their tumultuous experiences on diverse films. Frequently, sleep eluded them owing to stressful circumstances. Apart from assisting their team member, Ibrahim, their Afghani interpreter, Adel Safi, also required an urgent evacuation. Fortunately, their links with Navalny were fruitful. They managed to showcase a screening at the European Union (EU), which facilitated their connection with the EU’s Vice-President. During an official dinner, they sought her support for an imperative project, mentioning that its accomplishment hinged on the safe extraction of a significant contributor to the film. Despite the then ongoing pause on accepting Afghan asylum seekers by European governments, the process remained challenging. Therefore, they had to arrange for their interpreter’s travel to Pakistan where he had to temporarily reside.
As per Nash’at, assisting Safi with a secure journey was a gesture of gratitude, as the interpreter had proved to be a life-saver several times. He explicitly instructed Safi, to avoid translating any abusive or harmful content. Only while editing the film did Nash’at become aware of the derogatory comments made by a Taliban soldier, stating, “The little imp is filming again.”
Nash’at acknowledged the mistrust from the Taliban, yet credits his safety to the language barrier and the interpretation by Safi. Nash’at’s inability to understand the local language turned out to be a blessing, as his interpreter acted as a firewall, preventing his unwarranted comments from causing trouble. He adeptly translated Nash’at’s words in a culturally relevant way, ensuring his safety.
Contrary to the Taliban’s early assumption of the film, Hollywoodgate glorifying their fresh regime, the final result was strikingly dissimilar. The film includes a young soldier expressing a desire for Americans’ return, hoping for martyrdom under a shower of “500 bullets”. An undercover agent brags about the off-camera torture procedures.
The film’s crew was meticulous in not capturing any footage that could potentially jeopardize their subjects.
Despite seizing power in 2021 with assurances of a relaxed religious governance, the Taliban has strictly restrained women’s public activities, prohibited their independent actions, and denied girls secondary school education. This is contrasted when Mansour brags about his wife’s medical prowess, a career she had to abandon post-marriage. He humorously likens an unveiled woman to a piece of chocolate fallen on the ground.
Nash’at was guided by Talal Derki, famed for his Oscar-nominated 2017 film “Of Fathers and Sons”. Derki, who also produced Hollywoodgate, immersed himself in the day-to-day life of a jihadist family in northern Syria. The film-maker shared his approach in handling sensitive and shocking dialogues, which involves posing ideological questions during comfortable moments. This allows him to return to his observer role, akin to a silent soldier guarding a door, weapon in hand, for the entire day.
Nash’at’s cover was blown when asked to share his tape post filming a parade for dignitaries from Iran, Russia, and China. He quickly escaped on the next flight from Kabul airport, unsure if he had the necessary footage for the film he envisioned.
Managing the footages he filmed solely with the Taliban for a long time haunted Nash’at. He was concerned about effectively portraying the Afghan plight. However, he found solace in the power of editing that enabled him to narrate his desired story, even with limited resources. He views cinema as an instrumental medium that juxtaposes two visuals to deliver a more profound message than the visible. He expressed his optimism about accomplishing this with his film.
Rae echoed similar sentiments about the film focusing on the unseen: the Afghan people’s suffering. Despite the filming hazards, Rae agreed with Ibrahim that their hardships are dwarfed by the plight of the Afghan people.
Hollywoodgate is set to hit the silver screens on August 16th, Friday.