This film has gained a lot of notoriety for being the first movie made in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. Fortunately, the hype was well-deserved because this is indeed an excellent movie. The film tells the story of a little girl who masquerades as a boy in order to earn a living (under Taliban ruling, women have no rights). It is a highly politicized movie, but I did not care much for that aspect of the movie. I rather prefer to see the film as an unusual coming-of-age story. The cast of non-professional actors perform well, specially the girl who plays the title character (the camera is in love with her). My only complaint is that director Barmak could not avoid the temptation of preaching to the audience. Not that a little preaching bothers me, but I think the material is strong enough to speak for itself, and we did not need the director to tell us what we can see clearly. Overall, I did think Barmak handled the material in a brilliant manner. At the very least, the film provides a fascinating peek into another culture. Very downbeat, but sincere and always interesting. The movie is not a pleasant viewing experience, but it is an eye-opener to a sad situation. Highly Recommended!