Manizha Bakhtari says mournfully as she leaves behind the former Afghan embassy in Vienna, “We never anticipated this”. 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 takes Kabul in 2021. The fall of the elected government throws Bakhtari and many other Afghan officials into diplomatic limbo. The Taliban leadership is not internationally recognised. 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. They are virtually 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: heavily-armed Taliban soldiers riding on the back of lorries into the capital. 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 earned her respect as a champion of human rights and gender equality. But it also negatively affected her career. Time seems to work in favour of Afghan’s new leaders. An alarmingly short while after their power grip, Western nations begin 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. Halla only hints at the systemic challenges her protagonist might have overcome and the family privilege that helped her. The biographical framework is pleasantly slim, with the director keeping the focus instead on Afghan politics.
This 77-minute film lacks a little stamina. Tension arises mostly from Bakhtari managing her dwindling funds and grappling with her official position. Nevertheless, Hella’s calm observation shines a spotlight on an admirable character and her crucial work. It’s a rare glimpse of hope in dark times. This idealism shines in one of the final scenes, as Bakhtari approaches the Afghan border. She looks into an uncertain future and questions: “if we surrender to despair, then what is it that remains of us?”.
The Last Ambassador premiered at CPH:DOX, when this piece was originally written. Also showing at the Tallinn Black Nights.
