“Hollywoodgate,” directed by Ibrahim Nash’at, presents a chilling portrayal of the Taliban’s post-U.S. occupation in Afghanistan. The film exposes the stark ugliness and contempt within the Taliban’s leadership, focusing on the eponymous abandoned U.S. airbase in Kabul. Nash’at gains unprecedented access to the secretive inner circle of the Taliban, capturing the ruthless ambition of Lieutenant Mukhtar and the vacuity of his superior, Air Force head Malawi Mansour. The documentary unveils the literal and metaphorical mess left behind by the departing Americans, showcasing a warehouse of abandoned military equipment worth over $7 billion. As Nash’at navigates the performative nature of the Taliban’s interactions, the film becomes a disturbing revelation of the regime’s inhumanity and calculated desire to exhibit their brutality to the world. The Hollywoodgate team sought Saint-Urbain’s help to develop a poster, key art, and title credits for their film
Finding
In crafting the poster, key art, and title design, for“Hollywoodgate,” we took cues from the film’s portrayal of a performative world post-U.S. withdrawal. The font choice, inspired by the infamous Hollywoodgate itself, adds a visceral layer to the title credits, capturing the stark and ominous essence of the documentary. The main image on the poster, carefully selected for its theatrical and unsettling quality, speaks volumes about the normalized and chilling reality of the Taliban’s complete dominance. Placing the leaders squarely in the foreground, Saint-Urbain skillfully conveys the power dynamics at play, emphasizing the theatricality of the regime’s authority and the fear it instills.
