The specters of repression and fear are palpable, but so too, apparently, is a wave of hope and defiance. When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, among their many edicts was banning popular music, considering it a corrupting and sacrilegious influence. Video Collection: Youtube Title: Episode 37 - Special Concert. Women, men, children, elders, Pashtuns and Hazaras: Everyone with a cell phone is allowed their say in determining the outcome of a contest that, in its own limited scope, appears to soften the lines of difference and collapse traditional hierarchies. When she ventures out to a closed shopping arcade, a pair of burqa-clad women approach her; you expect a tongue-lashing but instead shes praised as an inspirational figure. What's remarkable about Marking's film is not just the stories of these four contestants but the way it captures everyday life in Afghanistan - its street kids, the show's fans, people talking at street stalls. I used to get up every morning at the same time and would simply go to bed the same time. General o Since the late 1970s, Afghan people have suffered foreign invasions, civil wars, and Taliban rule. "But an artist has to follow the people," he says. After decades of civil war, oppression and the crushing weight of underdevelopment and poverty, people in Afghanistan are clearly hungry for expression and transformation. I don't mean the film is perfect, but we do have a brilliant balance between heart-filled content and craft, considering the time and place that we were. I have always had a difficult time remembering to set my alarm clock. As the filmmakers point out, for many Afghanis--about 68 percent of whom are under age 25, according to the United National Development Programme--this is a first flirtation with democracy. The show is hardly racy by Western standards; indeed, with men in dodgy suits and understandably limited production values, the program feels as if it could have been made in the 1970s, before the wars started. So his family were asleep for a few hours and when they woke up they saw him lying in the hallway. With Afghan Star I have found the perfect team and have the perfect bedrock: my executive producers, Mike Lerner and Martin Herring, have been the most brilliant supports, and so I know that together we can go on to make more. This is the freedom Afghanistan doesnt want. He is Hazara, from the centre of the country, where the Bamiyan Buddhas were blown up by the Taliban, and has an interest in traditional music. "This was when the series became really big, and everything fell into place. When the Taliban were taken out of power in 2001, it was no longer a punishable crime in Afghanistan to watch TV, dance, or listen to popular music. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. To follow him, go to www.twitter.com/tyburr. Your comment is Instead, its just sort of there. Setara said she is open-minded and wants other Afghans to be as well. HM: There are a million different things we could have done, and a million different things that could have happened as and when we were there. Music has been caught in the crossfire in Afghanistan for the last 30 years. Yet when the popular enthusiasm for voting for a favourite star seems in part driven by the sense of futility in voting in elections, one fears that the dark days may not yet be over. The other female contestant Lema Sahar, a Pashtun, is eliminated in the last round leaving Naabzada and Sakhizada. Sediqi - who rebelled against Taliban rule by secretly repairing people's video recorders - wasn't exaggerating Afghan Star's huge influence. Choon Darakhte Farwardin (Rafi Naabzada) Get this album or track at: 3:14: 6. Man in the street: [after Setara adds dance moves to her song] She should be killed. Setara Hussainzada is an Afghan singer who appeared on the third season of "Afghan Star," a popular TV talent show in Afghanistan. I went to Afghanistan in January 2002, just a few months after the Taliban fled Kabul, to make a documentary for the BBC about the return of music to the capital. Edit this wiki. "If there was no music," a boy too young to remember the Taliban says at the beginning of Marking's film, "humans would be sad. The progress of last year's tumultuous series was followed by a British film crew. The Taliban outlawed music for five years. Afghan Star soundtrack from 2009, composed by Various Artists. Now I have a set alarm clock (more accurately, it keeps me up late) and dont have a problem getting up because I know exactly when it is. This aspect of the film is fascinating and what makes it important. The contestants become national celebrities with people campaigning for votes which are cast via SMS. But Lima and Setara, two of only three women out of an original pool of 2,000 contestants, take a far greater risk--by just daring to make themselves visible. 1 of 1 copy available at Berklee College of Music. There would be nothing.". The third episode of Afghan Star Season 15 featured the Ghazal auditions. The show's. (One interviewee simply states that she should be killed.). Afghan Star is a 2009 British documentary film following four contestants in the Afghan music competition Afghan Star. It seems that the government wanted him dead because he was a journalist with a great deal of influence over the countrys political landscape. Our aim is to take peoples minds from weapons to music, says the shows host, Daoud Sediqi, a Ryan Seacrest with actual gravitas. United Kingdom's official submission to 82nd Academy Award's Foreign Language in 2010. When you are singing, you are really full of life, says one before begging her not to stop. Did it lead you to other ideas or passions? This documentary on the effect the talent competition "Afghan Star" has on the incredibly diverse inhabitants of Afghanistan affords a glimpse into a country rarely seen. // ]]]]> She should be killed, says one passerby filmed by Marking. D: How did the sense of unpredictability (and danger) in the field affect your work as a director, and the development of the film? Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion. From the first broadcast a figure of inspiration and hope to the countrys women (and many men), Hussainzada sang Persian pop songs with a shimmy and a smile, and when she was eliminated in the first round, she defiantly danced her way through her final number and let her head covering slip to her shoulders. Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star. Setara doesnt really want to be the Courtney Love of Afghanistan. And all the ethnic groups were represented." Setara Hussainzada "Afghan Star" this I call Freedom to express - YouTube Story of Hameed Sakhizada, appearing in the third season of the Afghan reality show Afghan Star. Rafi (a 19-year-old idol-in-the-making from Mazar e Sharif), Hameed (a classically trained musician from the persecuted Hazara ethnic group), Lima (a 25-year-old woman from conservative Kandahar) and Setara (a 21-year-old woman from Herat): Each subject has a unique story that brings broader issues into focus. The men have it much easier. Subscribe to Indiatimes and get handpicked updates based on your interests! In March, shortly after leaving her job as a host on the MTV-style music program, she told radio interviewers that there were rumors someone. Then she marries one of her fans and has a baby, hoping for a measure of safety and forgiveness. Most of us are familiar with the images of Afghanistan at war, or under the Taliban; but until the rebellion against the Soviet invasion, the country was a relatively modern state, at least in the capital. Music and signing, an unacceptable custom in Afghanistan, seems to be the only means to bring some peace and harmony on weekend nights in the middle of civil wars that have devastated much of the country and continues till today. Breaking It Down: The Documentary Interview, Documentary Working Groups: Behind the Scenes of Field Accountability and Possibility, Intersectionality in the Documentary Film Edit Room, Movements, Campaigns, & Political Power In Front Of & Behind the Camera, Reclaiming the Power of Public Media | Documentary Film for All, The Documentary Funding Ecosystem: Building Values-based Financial Strategies, Why Transitioning to Black Leadership Matters | Equitable Organizational Succession in Media Arts, IDA and DWU Union Negotiation Regular Updates, The Feedback: Arden Teresa Lewis' 'Leveling Lincoln', Rethinking Representation: The IDA AwardsTeam Reflects on their Process, Life's Too Short: Mariam Jobrani's Journey with Cancer in 'Everything Must Change', Team Effort: An International Coalition of Broadcasters Pools Resources to Compete with Streaming Giants. Does it include "American Idol"? Here's an article from the July 2009 Documentary Online in conjunction with the film's theatrical run in June and July. And this happiness even makes me feel like dancing.. But the prize is considerable: as well as fame, the winner receives 5,000, which is 10 times the average salary. He was a good friend of the president of the company that had the lawsuit with the government. When I am performing, I am singing for the people, the feeling of freedom comes to my soul. I think I know why, but lets look at what works about the film first. It's so slight, and yet it causes a storm of protest, even among her fellow contestants. When Silencing the Song picks up a year later, Hussainzada has married one of her fans and is eight months pregnant, but her life is in disarray. Two are women, which in itself is remarkable: Setara Hussainzada from Herat and Lima Sahar from Kandahar. View version history. Your comment is She was condemned by the religious leaders and faced death threats. By the time the third series came around last year, the show had become a national phenomenon, despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that some entrants were risking their lives by taking part. Maybe theyll come away with a knowledge of how much can really ride on a song. "If the people want pop, I have to give them pop." Afghan Star premiered in 2005, four years after the fall of the Taliban, which had outlawed singing in 1996; it is one of the most-watched shows in Afghanistan. Starring: Rafi Naabzada, Lema Sehar, Hameed Sakhizada, Setara Hussainzada, Habib Amiri. For one thing, the patriarchal culture makes it unlikely that women will participate, and when a couple do, one of them, Setara Hussainzada, gets in trouble for dancing on-stage and accidentally letting her headscarf slip; not only is she removed from the show, but she has to go into hiding for her safety. HM: There are a number of irons in the fire; hopefully, one will come off! Afghan Star yearns for a divided country to be brought together by the most primal joy of all, yet by the final scenes Setara has been forced into hiding, and since the films release Lima has fled to Pakistan as well. //-->. Here's an article from the July 2009 Documentary Online in conjunction with the film's theatrical run in June and July.. His company was involved in a massive lawsuit with the government that ultimately ended his life. Setara Hussainzada, Rafi Naabzada, Lima Sahar. Rating: . It's not a lot, but along with their support and contacts it made all the difference. Im so happy! She was passionate and brave woman (though also a little naive) who lived for music. In Afghanistan, Marking worked with a very small crew: cameraman Phil Stebbing (who also did the sound), a driver, and a bodyguard (who was an Afghan wrestling champion). Episode 03 - Herat Audition. Fearing for her life, Setara goes into hiding. Since 2005, millions have been tuning in to Tolo TV's wildly popular American Idol-style series "Afghan Star." could not find your e-mail or password. The results are sadly lackluster, even if the concept and the intent are admirable. I was determined that wouldn't happen; I knew that I was the best person to direct this film. subject to the rules of our, THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING, Find showtimes and theaters for 'Afghan Star', Report: Warrant Issued for Roggies Bar Owner, Boston Pops Concert Move Keeps the Beach Boys, Ditches Joey McIntyre, Lawmakers pass compounding pharmacy oversight bill, Follow this list on Twitter: @BostonPopular. You could only film in safe areas; we didn't go to Kandahar, for example, where one of my characters was from, because it was dangerous for us, but even more importantly, it was dangerous for her to be seen with Westerners there. Others go much further. Afghan Star, An Unlikely Platform For Liberation in Afghanistan, Is A Beacon Of Hope For Women. On this audition, the Ghazal fans from all over the country participated to show their talents in order to satisfy the judges for getting a success card which advances them to the next steps of auditions and finally to the top 12. Already the show has received a warning from the Islamic Council, for "misleading the people". Taking the inflammatory convergence of democracy, modernity and pop culture in a fragile "post-war" Afghanistan as its point of departure, Afghan Star is a powerful and evocative documentary, grounded in astute . In January, Marking's documentary (also called Afghan Star) took two prizes in the Sundance film festival's world cinema category: best documentary director, and the audience award for a documentary. During this time, music was considered disrespectful and sacrilegious but the Mujahideen and the Taliban, respectively. She crafts things perfectly and still keeps all the the spirit and emotion. Current holds. Afghan Star. And since one of the two female contestantsSetara Hussainzadais a rule breaker who goes beyond the dictates of Islamic religion (she shows her hair and dances during a performance), were given a much more potentially dangerous drama, since this results in death threats. Refusing to contain her emotions, she moves her body in anticipation of her voice, briefly improvising a modest dance step. While one contestant emerges as the indisputable heroine, music is the first subject of the film, and protagonists and filmmakers alike want us to see it as they do: powerful, transformative, essential. The familys were all sleeping, so he wasnt able to kill them. The security situation meant that, for fear of kidnap, Marking couldn't set anything up in advance. "I believe there is no difference between a woman and a man," she declares. Afghan Star Year: 2009: Director: Havana Marking: Stars: Daoud Sediqi, Rafi Naabzada, Setara Hussainzada, Hameed Sakhizada, Lima Sahar, various: Genre: Documentary, Music: Rating: 8 (from 2 votes) Review: Afghanistan has had more than its share of troubles over the years, but perhaps there could be a way of uniting a country which has been split apart by conflicts from the Mujahadeen and the . Afghan Star (2009) Directed by Havana Marking Genres - Culture & Society , Film, TV & Radio , Music | Sub-Genres - Social History , Social Issues , Politics & Government | Release Date - Jun 26, 2009 (USA - Limited) | Run Time - 87 min. Add artwork, Do you know any background info about this album? | Countries - Afghanistan, United Kingdom | MPAA Rating - NR The Taliban fled Kabul in November 2001, when America and her allies invaded. Lima accepts her new freedoms gingerly, in contrast to the more impetuous Setara, who causes a national scandal when she dances and lets her head-covering slip during a televised performance. Would you like to receive event invitations, funding news, and other updates from the International Documentary Association? I have personal experience of such strong sentiment. Mostly Islamist in outlook, the Mujahideen placed restrictions on music and outlawed women singers. AFGHAN STAR. TV Shows. During her farewell performance she dances with free body movements without her hijab, as opposed to the more constrained dancing considered socially appropriate. In fact, the smartest people on earth are usually the ones who are the most logical. As broadcast networks blossomed, Tolo TV built Afghan Star explicitly on the American Idol model. D: Are there any other filmmakers in particular from whom you draw inspiration? For all intents and purposes, theyre both Kris Allen, yet each of them has an awareness of what they mean to a society struggling to its feet. After Daoud Sediqi decides to air the footage, there is outrage in the conservative Muslim community and Setara receives death threats and is evicted from her apartment. Simon Broughton reports, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Taboo buster 2008 Afghan Star finalist Lema Sahar, who claimed the Taliban were voting for her. Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. We gave her a handycam, and so she was able to film some stuff for us. But in Marking's documentary, you can hear a gasp of horror when Setara starts to dance. Boston.com article page player in wide format. The latter describes taking singing lessons in secret, hiding her music books and computer from the Taliban. In a chilling scene, a young man looks solemnly at the camera as he declares Setara should be killed for her transgressions. Unfortunately for Sadiqi, the continuing drama that makes the story so rich has very real consequences for its characters, and he reportedly left Afghanistan to seek asylum in the US as the film screened at Sundance. Kabuls Hameed Sakhizada and Rafi Naabzada, from Mazar-i-Sharif, are both young and pretty, westernized without being Western. I doubt she realizes what an impact she has had on the British documentary community. As the nation attempts to find peace after decades of conflict, 'Afghan Star' follows the screening of a 'Pop Idol' style television program, apparently gripping the nation. Women who are part of the entertainment culture are looked down upon. At this point I dont know if Setara Hussainzada was a good man or not. D: Do you keep in touch with any of the subjects, or have any recent news? Fastest Charging On Any Nord Phone Ever & Other Reasons Why OnePlus Nord 2T Is Worth Every Penny! Seguido por unos 11 millones de personas en todo el pas, Rafi Nabzada, Lima Sahar, Setara Hussainzada y Hamid Shakhizada compiten por conseguir su sueo, convertirse en el cantante ms famoso de Afganistn. Habib Amiri, Setara Hussainzada, Rafi Naabzada, Lima Sahar, Hameed Sakhizada, Massoud Sanjer. 1 hour, 27 minutes. I have no idea if he was a good person that had something to do with his life or if he was a bad person that had something to do with his death. "Afghan Star is better than politics," says one guy in a teahouse. D: Were there overt threats to your safety? For more information, click here. Her life in danger, the young singer is forced into hiding, with the rest of the country still reeling from her performance. What Will is atm card is necessary for google pay Be Like in 100 Years? "She deserves to be killed." 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