US EditionBerlin Film Festival 2026: Dates, Celebrities and Programme
No Good Men features the first on-screen kiss in Afghan cinema, challenging patriarchy through a workplace romance set amid Kabul's 2021 political turmoil, director said.
- On Thursday, Director Shahrbanoo Sadat's No Good Men opened the 76th Berlin Film Festival, an Afghan political romantic comedy set in a Kabul newsroom in 2021 said to include the first-ever on-screen kiss.
- Faced with European funding, Sadat encountered pressure to produce a political or war film and received letters of complaint from funders, despite her goal to humanize Afghan characters.
- Resistance to the kissing scene forced the lead actor to withdraw three weeks before filming, prompting Shahrbanoo Sadat to take the role herself.
- Participants say romantic stories are helping set the tone for this year's festival, with the Afghan film's slot possibly broadening portrayals of Afghanistan, according to Hiam Abbass.
- Multiple funders complained that supporting a rom‑com was inappropriate given Afghanistan's politics, while Sadat said she was offended and that the film confronts patriarchy.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Associated Press News
Love is found in unexpected places at the Berlin Film Festival
Two films at the Berlin Film Festival use romance to show life beyond war and politics. On Thursday, the festival opens with “No Good Men,” set in a Kabul newsroom in 2021.
Selected works examine how our private lives are "formed" by the political and social context. The 76th edition of the Film Festival ends on February 22.
thepress.net
Cinema's power to 'change the world' in focus at Berlin Film Fest
Berlin Film Festival jury president Wim Wenders on Thursday hailed the power of cinema to "change the world" as the event's 76th edition kicked off, promising an eclectic selection of films reflecting current upheavals.
Tonight the 76th Berlin International Film Festival begins.
The 76th Berlin International Film Festival is about to begin, with around 200 films to be screened. 22 films will compete for the Golden and Silver Bears in the main competition. This year's Berlinale will open with Afghan director Sharbanu Sadat's third feature film, No Good Men.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
