Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Tina Fey Takes on the Taliban

The comedienne is set to star in and produce a screen adaptation of journalist Kim Barker's witty memoirs of her time in the region.

Staff Writer

Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we would ever write a sentence that would include both Tina Fey and Taliban, but in Hollywood, anything goes. According to the Huffington Post, Tina Fey is set to star in and produce adaptation of The Taliban Shuffle, a memoir by international journalist Kim Barker.

What makes this so odd is that usually Afghanistan and Pakistan are typically heavy subjects, and are countries usually devoid of a sense of humour. However, the New York Times have called Baker's 2011 book as a "hilarious and harrowing and witty and illuminating all at the same time."

Kim Barker have worked for several publications such as The Chicago Tribune and ProPublica. Her book details her harrowing experiences living in the region during major events such as the assassination of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the 2005 Afghanistan parliamentary elections. While talking about these serious issues, Barker manages to break up the heaviness with absurd anecdotes about competing with her reporter boyfriend for stories, while evading the romantic pursuit of the former prime minister of Pakistan.

The New York Times review even specifically mentions that Barker personality comes off as “a sort of Tina Fey character”, which is probably what drew Fey to the story. There is still no word when the project is set for release but based on the premise, this movie is sure to be a winner. Not everything in the region is doom and gloom and, hopefully, with the actualisation of this film, we may all take a new look at the tumultuous times, replacing the usual tears with laughter. The only question is, will the Middle East and Asia allow the movie to be screened? We can only hope.