A recent ABC News report exploring the province-by-province differences in stability and resource access under the current regime. 2. Popular Cinematic Depictions (International)

: Karimi, the first female head of Afghan Film, became a viral figure herself during the fall of Kabul; her frantic Facebook Live stream remains one of the most-watched videos of the transition. 📱 Viral "Culture Shock" Videos

While the Taliban dominates domestic airwaves and digital spaces, independent Afghan filmmakers continue to tell raw, authentic stories from exile.

To the outside world, the Taliban’s return was marked by checkpoint chaos and airport crowds. But inside the newly occupied Ministry of Information and Culture, a quiet, deliberate production was already underway. The group had learned a critical lesson from their first rule in the 1990s: a government that controls the narrative survives longer than one that only controls the streets.

The PVPV law has intensified surveillance to such an extent that women now describe a constant, suffocating fear of being stopped, interrogated, or punished not just by police but by neighbors or community informants. Since returning to power, more than 1,200 people have been publicly flogged, including at least 200 women. Women have been lashed for appearing in public without a male guardian, riding in a car with a cousin, or simply for wearing a hijab deemed too thin.

This is the primary media arm of the Taliban, producing high-definition (HD) films, documentaries, and news reports. Their production quality has improved significantly, mimicking western-style documentary techniques.

Recognizing the power of psychological warfare, the Taliban established the Al-Emarah Studio. They began producing low-quality guerrilla videos, roadside bombing compilations, and audio chants ( taranees ) distributed via DVDs and USB drives.

Televisions and VCRs were outlawed, buried in backyards, or hung from trees as a public warning against consuming Western or Indian media.