Natalie Halla documents the challenging work of Manizha Bakhtari, female ambassador of Afghanistan
“We never anticipated this situation.”, says Manizha Bakhtari mournfully as she leaves behind the former Afghan embassy in Vienna, “We never anticipated it.” The scene underlines the air of uncertainty driving forward Natalie Halla‘s engaging documentary. The Austrian director accompanies the Kabul-born diplomat, author and journalist, in the months after a moment of unprecedented upheaval. Bakhtari serves as the Afghan ambassador in Vienna as the Taliban take Kabul in 2021. The fall of the elected government throws Bakhtari and many other Afghan officials into ministerial limbo. The Taliban leadership is not internationally recognized. Yet, Bakhtari is determined to continue her fight for the Afghan people.
Her priority is supporting the women of her home country. After the fall of Kabul women and girls lost nearly all their rights. By now they are almost banned from the public sphere. Harrowing video material, mostly shot by mobile phone in the midst of events, condenses the takeover. Many viewers will remember the haunting scenes: The heavily armed Taliban soldiers riding on the back of trucks into the capital. The shocking pictures of people desperately clinging to the last planes taking off from Kabul’s airport. Private clips of young Afghan girls, devastated by the news that the Taliban banned them from all higher education and even school.
Despite these horrifying events and countless accounts of humans rights violations, some political forces suggest one should cooperate with the Taliban. Several of Bakhtari’s colleagues decided to continue their work for the Taliban. Others like herself stand undeterred against them. For Bakhtari, the Taliban are terrorists, and she is not afraid to call them out as such. Her strong position has gained her respect and strategically important attention as a champion of human rights and gender equality. But it also negatively affected her career. Time seems to work in favor of Afghan’s new leaders. An alarmingly short while after their power grip, western nations started to invite Taliban delegations.
These political gestures are a crucial step towards the official recognition of a Taliban government. The longer the Taliban leaders are in office, the more democratic politicians are inclined to accept them. This steady erosion of political principles contrasts with Bakhtari’s unwavering integrity. Persistence and courage appear to define her career path. It was uncommon for women within Afghanistan’s patriarchal society. But director Hella only hints at the systemic challenges her protagonist might have overcome and the family privilege that helped her. The biographical framework is pleasantly slim. In fact, the film would profit from even less private exposition and more insight into Afghanistan’s current politics.
How close Bakhtari gets to the Afghan heads of state and how they perceive her, stays under warps. This could have added sharpness to the professional portrait. Tension only arises from Bakhtari’s dwindling funds and unclear official position. Thus, the narrative can get a bit dull. Nevertheless, Hella’s calm observations shine a spotlight on an admirable character and her crucial work. It’s a rare glimpse of hope in dark times. This idealism shines through a late scene that shows Bakhtari close to the Afghan border. As she literally looks into an uncertain future, she asks: “If we completely surrender to despair, then what remains for us?”
- OT: The Last Ambassador
- Director: Natalie Halla
- Screenplay: Natalie Halla
- Year: 2025
- Distribution | Production © Golden Girls Film
