76th Berlinale Opens with No Good Men Premiere

The 76th Berlin International Film Festival will open on February 12, 2026, with the world premiere of "No Good Men," the latest feature from Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat. The film, presented out of competition in the Berlinale Special Gala section, will screen at the Berlinale Palast in the presence of the cast and crew. The festival runs through February 22.

"No Good Men" centers on Naru, the only female camerawoman at Kabul TV, who holds a firm belief that no good men exist in Afghanistan. Her perspective shifts when she joins reporter Qodrat on an assignment shortly before the Taliban's return to power in 2021. As a forbidden romance develops amid the dangers of journalism in Kabul, the story blends romance, humor, and political tension, drawing from the absurdities of daily life in the city during its democratic era. Sadat, who stars as Naru, portrays the film as both personal and political, based on real events adapted from the autobiographical writings of author and actor Anwar Hashimi, who plays Qodrat. It marks the third installment in a planned series of five films inspired by Hashimi's experiences.

Sadat, who fled Kabul with her family in 2021 after the Taliban...