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Berlinale Picks Shahrbanoo Sadat’s ‘No Good Men’ to Open 2026 Festival

The choice underscores a focus on Afghan women shaped by Sadat’s 2021 evacuation to Hamburg.

Overview

  • The festival announced that the film will open the Berlinale with its world premiere on February 12 in Berlin.
  • The romantic comedy follows the only camerawoman at Kabul TV, whose views on men are challenged as she works with a reporter shortly before the Taliban’s return.
  • Festival director Tricia Tuttle praised Sadat as a leading international voice and noted that making the film involved significant risks for the director.
  • The production was shot at multiple locations in Germany, with a broader cinema release planned for summer 2026.
  • Sadat has worked in Hamburg since her August 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan and she also appears in the film as the lead character Naru.