No Good Men
In this politically charged and romantic film, a TV camerawoman finds new love during the final days of freedom before the Taliban’s second takeover of Afghanistan.
Written and directed by Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, the film No Good Men tackles heavy subjects with a light touch, in the style of a rom-com. It centres on the position of women and political news topics in Afghanistan just before the US withdrew from the country in 2021.
Sadat plays the lead role herself, as Naru, a camerawoman for a TV company and mother to a young son, who is in the process of divorcing her abusive husband. Naru films a local version of Dr. Phil in the studio but would prefer to be a news videographer. One day, she gets the chance to accompany star reporter Qodrat on an assignment and demonstrates her talent for reportage videography.
Because Naru is a woman, she gets women to open up in interviews in ways that men cannot. The film’s title stems from such a situation: a Valentine’s Day street poll conducted by Naru, in which one woman after another testifies that there are no good men in Afghanistan. Everyone treats women badly.
Naru and Qodrat’s collaboration leads to friendship and perhaps even a little more, and the film pays a slight homage to Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca at the end. Perhaps there is one good man in Afghanistan after all?
Jaana Semeri (translated by Moritz Müller)
Screenings
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Kinopalatsi 2Sun 20.9. at 16.15–17.58103 min, 1/3
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Kinopalatsi 2Tue 22.9. at 18.45–20.28103 min, 2/3
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Savoy-teatteriSat 26.9. at 12.00–13.43103 min, 3/3