Directed By: Liz Mermin
The Basics: American hairstylists on a goodwill mission to Afghanistan set about teaching beauty-school classes to female war refugees. No, it's not a mockumentary.
What's the Deal? Yes, you're thinking, "What about schools and roads?" But you wouldn't be seeing the big picture. Beauty salons provide one of the few socially allowed outlets for women to earn a living in Afghanistan. That's the reality. So it's not a wacky documentary about a frivolous pursuit. It's really about giving women power, even in marginal ways, and taking back the idea of feminine beauty wrecked by the Taliban.
"Beauty Without Borders": Appropriating the name from "Doctors Without Borders," that's actually what some of the visiting stylists, backed by Clairol and Vogue, call themselves.
Ugly Americanism: When told that some of her students have trouble sleeping, one stylist advises that they see a professional to assist them with that issue.
Ugly Americanism, Tempered: Two of the visiting stylists are Afghan women who fled to America and are returning home after decades away. They help dilute some of the Waiting for Guffman-ish, new-age, drama-queen wackiness. Which is good.