Sydney Film Festival 2026
In Shahrbanoo Sadat’s film No Good Men, the culinary details are deeply woven into the daily life, casual workplace interactions, and social habits of Kabul just before August 2021. Because Sadat’s storytelling relies heavily on slice-of-life realism, street-level reporting, and office dynamics, traditional Afghan street food and comfort food make prominent appearances.
The primary food items and distinct culinary moments featured or referenced in the film include:
1. Bolani (Stuffed Flatbread)
As Naru (played by Sadat herself) and the veteran journalist Qodrat travel through Kabul to capture the "vox pop" voices of everyday citizens, street vendors cooking bolani are central to the landscape. These are thin, crispy flatbreads typically stuffed with green onions (gandana), mashed potatoes, or pumpkin, fried on a large flat griddle, and served with green chutney.
2. Kabuli Pulao & Office Lunches
The workplace culture at Kabul TV heavily features communal lunching and quick, casual meals brought in between editing and live broadcasts. Classic Afghan rice—specifically Kabuli Pulao (the national dish featuring aromatic long-grain rice topped with caramelized carrots, raisins, and tender lamb) or simpler everyday white rice (chalau) served with a meat or bean bean stew (qorma)—is shared or discussed by the news team.
3. Afghan Chai (Tea) with Cardamom
No Afghan production capturing real daily life would be complete without tea, which serves as the ultimate social lubricant in the film.
Green tea (chai-e sabz) and black tea steeped with crushed cardamom pods are constantly being poured into small glasses during workplace breaks, stressful strategic planning sessions as the political climate shifts, and tense home visits.
4. Dried Fruits and Nuts
In the quieter, intimate scenes and casual office interactions, small bowls of traditional Afghan hospitality snacks are present. These include green raisins (kishmish), almonds (badam), and walnuts—staples that are offered to guests or snacked on while reviewing camera footage.
5. Street-Side Kababs
As Naru and Qodrat traverse the city's shifting, increasingly dangerous streets, the smoke and sights of traditional charcoal grill vendors cooking skewered lamb or chicken kababs line the Kabul backdrops, emphasizing the sensory texture of a city on the brink of immense change.
Music from Adobe Creative Cloud
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