British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Afghan Star

Synopsis
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, among their many edicts was banning popular music, considering it a corrupting and sacrilegious influence. Though Taliban was swept from power in 2001, Islamic militants still regard music as sinful and have targeted Afghan musicians in assassination plots. Into this repressive culture comes a television show that has taken Afghanistan by storm -- ‘Afghan Star’, a talent search modelled on AMERICAN IDOL in which aspiring singers perform for the viewing audience and either advance in the ranks or are dropped from the competition based on votes cast by telephone. In a nation where both free democracy and pop music are novel and risky concepts, ‘Afghan Star’s popularity is a bona fide phenomenon, and filmmaker Havana Marking explores both the competition and its effect on Afghan society in the documentary AFGHAN STAR. Marking examines the show’s audience -- it’s estimated that a third of the nation watches it regularly -- as well as several top contestants, including would-be teen-pop sensation Rafi; Hammeed, a singer who is seen as a champion and role model by fellow members of the Hazara people; Lima, who was born and raised in a community of Islamic fundamentalists and must hide her identity for the safety of her family; and Setara, an attractive woman who defies convention by wearing American-style clothes and makeup, moving to the music on-stage, and even abandoning her head scarf during a performance, making her a hero to youngsters and a pariah to their parents (as well as Islamic conservatives).
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Year of release
2010
Year of production
2008
Subjects
Social Studies; Media studies; Music
Keywords
Afghanistan; popular culture; popular music; social change; television broadcasting

Distribution Formats

Type
DVD
Format
Region 2 PAL
Price
£6.99
Availability
Sale
Duration/Size
87 minutes
Year
2014

Distributor

Name

Dogwoof Pictures

Email
oli@dogwoofpictures.com
Web
http://www.dogwoof.com External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7395 1217
Fax
020 7900 3270
Address
2nd Floor, 1A Neal’s Yard
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9DP
Notes
Dogwoof is an independent distributor specialising in quality films from around the world that raise awareness, trigger change, and get people involved. The main focus is socially conscious films including THE AGE OF STUPID, THE END OF THE LINE, BURMA VJ and BLACK GOLD. Sale on DVD. In Autumn 2011 Dogwoof launched Popup Cinema (http://popupcinema.net/) to allow non-theatric screenings of their just-released and classic titles.
 

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