Based on a true story, The Black Tulip takes us to Kabul in 2001 after the Taliban has been routed, as the hope of freedom returns. Written, directed, and produced by our guest Sonia Nassery Cole, who stars as Farishta Mansouri, The Black Tulip follows Faishta and her family as they open a restaurant in Kabul in the building where her father had his bookstore, Poet’s Corner. As children, Farishta and her sister witnessed Taliban troops kidnapping her father and burning his shop. Now despite the worries of her mother, and concerns of her husband, Farishta hopes to honor his memory with poetry readings and hospitality. Poet’s Corner restaurant grows in popularity, becoming a place where both the military and those opposed to them can enjoy traditional food, music, and an open microphone.