Afghan Star (2008)

100% of critics liked it
(60 reviews)
69% of users liked it
(6,827 ratings)

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… More 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 modeled after 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 both 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). Afghan Star was an official selection at the 2008 Sheffield International Documentary Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Havana Marking
Genres: Documentary, Television, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International, Special Interest

In Theaters: Jun 26, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Mar 30, 2010
Studio: Zeitgeist Films

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle
Like The Kite Runner novel and movie, the documentary Afghan Star succeeds at dramatizing the lives of Afghans, but those we see on screen are real flesh-and-blood characters -- people who let their true feelings emerge.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
One of the most hopeful and heart-rending movies I've seen this year.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
This eye-opening film reveals that even systems as dubious as the Idol format mean dramatically different things when transferred to radically dissimilar cultures.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Havana Marking's excellent, illuminating film follows four Afghan Star finalists over the frenetic final months leading to the Moment of Truth.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
In its vivid, suspenseful depiction of a high-stakes competition for prize money and the honor of being named Afghanistan's top singer, Afghan Star goes much deeper.
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
If you think American Idol is a cultural phenomenon here, imagine its impact on a country devastated by 30 years of internal strife, religious intolerance, civil war and foreign invasion.
David Fear, Time Out
While its style and structure conform to the well-worn template established by docs like Spellbound, its success lies in creating an accessible, fun way into serious issues.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Timely and intriguing docu was the winner of the Directing and Audience Awards at the Sundance Film Fest.
Ian Buckwalter, DCist
For all the dramatic pull of the competition and insight into current culture and politics in Afghanistan, it's a bit of a shame that the film itself is such a dry affair.
Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com
... more than a popular phenomenon, this documentary shows how a simple, completely apolitical piece of entertainment crosses ethnic, regional and cultural borders...
Kam Williams, Sly Fox
Proof positive you can't bomb people back to the Stone Age, if they're already there.
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth
For once, the McDonald's-like spreading of American culture abroad seems to have actually been a good thing.
Mark R. Leeper, rec.arts.movies.reviews
The film is both optimistic and depressing. This film is about a real war with real deaths that is going on in Afghanistan and one of the battlefields of that war is a pop music contest on television.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Afghan Star is an engaging and important film and what it lacks in depth, it makes up for in cultural impact. Worth seeing.
Whitney Borup, Film Threat
An inspiring, fun documentary.
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
One of the more surreal docs to come down the pike in some time.
Jennifer Merin, About.com
Afghanistan's version of American Idol shines a spotlight on a culture in transition. Fascinating -- especially when it comes to the experiences of the woman who's risking her reputation and social standing in order to sing.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's an upbeat film, though hardly a convincing one, that shows there's more to the popular TV show than entertainment.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
The filmmaking itself is pretty much by the numbers...But there's some genuine tension as the competition field narrows.
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun
The film's essential fascination and integrity swamp any qualms about its pacing or all-around moviemaking.

Read all 25 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Thomas J

Interesting to see how a knock off of a western television show is made in a country with such strict laws regarding music, dance and even television in general make everything more difficult. What I enjoyed seeing most was how some people live with the fear instead of backing down… More
Interesting to see how a knock off of a western television show is made in a country with such strict laws regarding music, dance and even television in general make everything more difficult. What I enjoyed seeing most was how some people live with the fear instead of backing down on their "progressive" ideas. Americans need to be reminded how lucky we are and even what we are fighting for when we try to expand democracy. They feel voting for a singer is exercising democracy, but also live with fear they can lose their favorite new tv show at the same time.
Walter M

As televisions make a return to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, so too should remote controls that can change the channel, so those easily offended can watch something else and mind their business, especially as it concerns the musical competition, Afghan Star, where the… More
As televisions make a return to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, so too should remote controls that can change the channel, so those easily offended can watch something else and mind their business, especially as it concerns the musical competition, Afghan Star, where the winner gets $5,000. "Afghan Star" follows four of the finalists, Hameed, Rafi, Lima and Setara, who is also the most outspoken of the group, on and off stage to get a sense of how the contest is affecting their own lives and any resistance they face. Now, a singing competition might on the surface seem like a strange place to explore the changing state of freedoms in the country, but with any nation emerging from a repressive state, there has to be a first step(in this case, it is a dance step). In other times and places, it has been artists like Elvis Presley and Pedro Almodovar that led the charge. So, while I agree with this moderately entertaining and insightful documentary that this television show where men and women occupy the same stage can lead to inspiring greater freedom, other conclusions concerning democracy and unity I am less sure of. While the contestants do run political style campaigns, this really should not be confused with the ballot box. Also, I bet that each ethnic group votes for their own primarily.