Afghan Star
In the vein of Slumdog Millionaire, the 2009 documentary Afghan Star focuses again on a popular Western gameshow taking place in a third world country during a time of major political and social unrest. The doc was a success at Sundance, and is currently being shown in select theatres in the United States (the website has details).
The documentary follows the three month process from the regional auditions to the final show in Kabul and closely shadows four contestants throughout their journey. It touches on the multitude of ways that the television program was important in Afghanistan – ways we as Americans might easily overlook. For instance, “this is the first time [many Afghans] have encountered democracy: one man or one women equals one vote. All – the different genders, ethnic groups, age sectors – are equal.”
The clear star of the film is a young woman named Setara who literally risks her life for the chance to do what she loves. The fact that women were even allowed to participate is remarkable, but with Setara’s modern style, makeup and progressive ideas, she faces some incredibly large and frightening obstacles. One scene shows her riding in a car on her way to the final show receiving a call from a family member asking if she was okay because they heard she was dead.
The film touches on many important issues – democracy, gender equality, freedom and of course, the ability of music to bring people together.
