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No Good Men

Berlinale Special Gala 2026
© Virginie Surdej
Afghanistan, 2021, shortly before the Taliban’s return to power. Naru, the only camerawoman at Kabul’s main TV station, is struggling to retain custody of her three-year-old son. After leaving her serially cheating husband, she has become convinced that no good men exist in her country. Naru is therefore caught off guard when Qodrat, Kabul TV’s most important journalist, offers her a career opportunity. As the two criss-cross the city reporting on its last days of freedom, sparks fly between them and Naru starts to doubt her conviction. Could there be a good man out there after all?
by Shahrbanoo Sadat (Director, Screenplay)
with Shahrbanoo Sadat, Anwar Hashimi, Liam Hussaini, Yasin Negah, Torkan Omari, Fatima Hassani, Ahmad Azizi, Masihullah Tajzai, Laila Mahmudi, Farzad Hamidpadgan Hamidpadgan, Ali Hussein Assadi, Shahla Noori, Mirza Mohammad Hafezi, Faridoon Ghazanfari Afshar, Bismellah Paymani, Babrak Akbari Germany / France / Norway / Denmark / Afghanistan 2026 Dari, Pashtu 103' Colour World premiere | Berlinale Opening Film

With

  • Shahrbanoo Sadat (Naru)
  • Anwar Hashimi (Qodrat)
  • Liam Hussaini (Liam)
  • Yasin Negah (News Manager)
  • Torkan Omari (Anita)
  • Fatima Hassani (Layla)
  • Ahmad Azizi (Qodrat´s Friend)
  • Masihullah Tajzai (Naru´s Husband)
  • Laila Mahmudi (News Anchor)
  • Farzad Hamidpadgan Hamidpadgan (News Anchor)
  • Ali Hussein Assadi (Driver)
  • Shahla Noori (Kindergarden Teacher)
  • Mirza Mohammad Hafezi (Cameraman)
  • Faridoon Ghazanfari Afshar (Security Guard)
  • Bismellah Paymani (Security Guard)
  • Babrak Akbari (Commander)

Crew

Director Shahrbanoo Sadat
Screenplay Shahrbanoo Sadat
Cinematography Virginie Surdej
Editing Alexandra Strauss
Music Harpreet Bansal, Therese Aune, Kristian Eidnes
Sound Design Anne Gry Friis Kristensen, Sigrid DPA Jensen
Production Design Pegah Ghalambor
Costumes Pola Kardum
Make-Up Madou Kotzke, Anne Cathrine Sauerberg, Ditte Madsen
Casting Shahrbanoo Sadat, Moshtari Hilal
Producers Katja Adomeit, Shahrbanoo Sadat, Jeppe Wowk, Marina Perales Marhuenda, Xavier Rocher, Ingvil Sæther Berger, Balthasar Busmann, Maxi Haslberger
Executive Producer Katja Adomeit

Produced by

Adomeit Film (D)

Lübeck, Germany

Adomeit Film (DK)

Kopenhagen, Denmark

La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma

Paris, France

Motlys

Oslo, Norway

Wolf Pictures

Kabul, Afghanistan

Amerikafilm

Berlin, Germany

World Sales

Lucky Number

Paris, France

Photos

Galas & Awards

Press Conference

Shahrbanoo Sadat

© Alexandra Polina

The Afghani filmmaker is based in Hamburg, Germany. Her debut feature film, Wolf and Sheep, and her second, The Orphanage, both screened in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. Together with her most recent film, No Good Men, they form the first three parts of a planned five-film series inspired by the female actor Anwar Hashimi’s unpublished autobiography as well as the filmmaker’s own life.

Filmography

2016 Wolf and Sheep 2019 The Orphanage 2026 No Good Men

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026