“Hollywood, Bollywood, Nothingwood!” proclaims Salim Shaheen. He has been called the “Afghan Ed Wood” and is certainly the war-torn country’s most popular and prolific actor/director/producer. Launching production on his 111th B-movie masterpiece, the exuberant filmmaker travels to a remote village to shoot with his usual ragtag crew of friends, actors, war veterans and his perennial cross-dressing “leading lady.” Armed with a small video camera, a few Kalashnikovs and a box of live ammo, it’s “lights, camera, action!” First-time helmer Sonia Kronlund’s at-times hilarious portrait of this local hero elicits both admiration and affection for Shaheen’s braggadocio, sincere dedication to his oeuvre and guileless belief in the transcendent power of moving pictures.
