One of the more surreal docs to come down the pike in some time.
Comment
10/16/09
Afghan Star (2009)
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Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:49
Rotten:0
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: An enlightening and sobering documentary on Afghanistan’s very own X-Factor.
Runtime: 87 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: In Afghanistan you risk your life to sing. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop culture has returned to the country—and since 2005, millions are tuning in to Tolo TV’s wildly popular... [More]
Director: Havana Marking
Reviews for Afghan Star
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.
10/06/09
It's an upbeat film, though hardly a convincing one, that shows there's more to the popular TV show than entertainment.
09/30/09
The filmmaking itself is pretty much by the numbers...But there's some genuine tension as the competition field narrows.
09/24/09
The film's essential fascination and integrity swamp any qualms about its pacing or all-around moviemaking.
09/18/09
...by the end of the 88 minute journey you'll learn more about contemporary Afghanistan than you will from a month of watching television news in the United States.
09/18/09
Of all the films to come out of the conflict, Afghan Star is the most provocative, because its message that people are essentially the same is a dubious, double-edge sword.
09/17/09
Marking has a good eye for capturing the contradictions of Afghanistan.
09/05/09
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.
08/21/09
An informative documentary revealing how decades of war and years of Taliban repression have fallen to the wayside, however briefly, as Kabul's answer to American Idol seduces a violence-weary Afghanistan.
08/21/09
This documentary about the Afghani version of American Idol is good and worth a look, but I was never swept up by it emotionally.
08/12/09
One of the most hopeful and heart-rending movies I’ve seen this year.
07/30/09
Director Havana Marking's work is quite moving, particularly when it follows two of the three women who compete with nearly 2000 male applicants for the title.
07/30/09
This eye-opening film reveals that even systems as dubious as the Idol format mean dramatically different things when transferred to radically dissimilar cultures.
07/24/09
Top Critic...insightful document that gives you so much more than the well-done look at a reality show.
07/23/09
Havana Marking's excellent, illuminating film follows four Afghan Star finalists over the frenetic final months leading to the Moment of Truth.
07/23/09
Marking follows four contestants for the three months leading up to "Afghan Star's" finale and, while there are some amusing parallels to "American Idol," it is also clear Glambert would risk stoning had he been performing in Afghanistan.
07/19/09
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.
07/17/09
Top CriticA pleasantly uplifting film, one built upon hope and the strength of the human spirit.
07/17/09
Afghan Star reveals that the Afghan people strongly crave to make up for years lost to Taliban repression and catch up with the 21st century.
07/16/09
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