Every so often, the neighbors call the police; at one point, 40 armed soldiers turn up at her door. Documentary: You've mentioned that you had long been interested in Afghanistan and had heard about the talent show from a journalist. His company was involved in a massive lawsuit with the government that ultimately ended his life. "Music is banned by religion," she says. Where: Zetigeist. Contestants Rafi Naabzada (lef) and Lima Sahar (center) performing on stage in Havana Marking's Afghan Star, a Zeitgeist Films release. SEE RANK. The results are sadly lackluster, even if the concept and the intent are admirable. Now hopes are high that this hit show can unite Afghanistan's diverse ethnic groups and help bring an end to conflict. Any work that you looked to when you started this project? Perhaps I should cover my face.. Take your "American Idol"-besotted children to see this movie. In this episode only, those with high music talent succeeded to the next auditions (Top 160). Afghan Star's popularity is a bona fide phenomenon, and filmmaker Havana Marking explores . Its a frustratingly sketchy portrait; in the half-hour allotted her, Marking doesnt give us the wider cultural setting of a country struggling toward freedom of expression, and she may wrongly assume that a US viewer has seen Afghan Star. (The original documentary airs before the new film tonight and is highly recommended.). She is denounced by public officials; death threats prevent her from returning to her hometown. A Trending Reel Challenge That Can Win Us a Brand-New Swift? Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. Setara Hussainzada was a journalist. 1 of 1 copy available at Berklee College of Music. Here are some of the ways that logic really matters in our work. Marking also films an Islamic council of scholars inveighing against the shows immorality and predicting wholesale social collapse as a result. She was frowned upon for the scarf moment which caught everyone's attention. Afghan Star is a 2009 documentary film following four contestants in the Afghan music competition, Afghan Star. For more on movies, go to www.boston.com/movienation. In a chilling scene, a young man looks solemnly at the camera as he declares Setara should be killed for her transgressions. The Taliban outlawed music for five years. In English, Dari, and Pashtun, with. Movies. Rating: Unrated. Hameed is a classically-trained musician from the Hazara ethnic communty, which is a Persian Shi'ite group from central Afghanistan that has frequently suffered at the hands of its more populous neighboring communities. We gave her a handycam, and so she was able to film some stuff for us. Out in the streets, condemnation of Setara is not limited to the "old guard." HM: There were no personal threats, but a general protocol had to be followed. Afghan Star, An Unlikely Platform For Liberation in Afghanistan, Is A Beacon Of Hope For Women. could not find your e-mail or password. Its shrewdly structured to contain an element of dramaeven two of them. Better still, it offers the inherent drama of finding out which contestant will win. What is this country that youngsters cannot make their voices heard, she despairs. Your comment is What we get is troubling enough even before Hussainzadas child is born and further hardships are endured. Editor's Note: Afghan Star premieres Thursday, March 18, on HBO. . Starring: Rafi Naabzada, Lema Sehar, Hameed Sakhizada, Setara Hussainzada, Habib Amiri. 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. The alarm clock is a hardware device that keeps an idiot at home awake. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker. In this episode only, those with high music talent succeeded to the next auditions (Top 160). 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. She lives in hiding in Kabul, unable to return. Conservative clerics hated her. Afghan Star soundtrack from 2009, composed by Various Artists. But contestants on the country's answer to Pop Idol are risking not just humiliation, but their lives. The idea of following the four finalists in the showand looking at their diverse tribal backgroundsprovides the film with a solid framework. Released by Silva Screen in 2009 (1292) containing music from Afghan Star (2009). Afghan Star is a Middle Eastern version of that program, with the difference being that in a Muslim culture, the contestants are in a real life and death struggle every day between the secularists and the devout. I went on my own and filmed for a month. Setaras parents' house in Herat was daubed with words like whore on the door. . There was a warlord in the northwest who suddenly freaked out, so we had to cancel a shoot as his local militia was on the rampage there. 2023 International Documentary Association. Marking lacks the sense of urgency to pull it all together. RECOMMENDED Make a list of what you're willing to die for. It's also available to stream, download and buy on demand at Apple TV. "They tried it," Marking says, "but the audience hated it.". For the two young male contestants, both varying measures of earnestness, bravado and brittle celebrity aura, the journey to fame has a dark side. Production: Zeitgeist Films. It's not a lot, but along with their support and contacts it made all the difference. Running time: 1 hour 27 minutes. 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. 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. Refusing to contain her emotions, she moves her body in anticipation of her voice, briefly improvising a modest dance step. Afghan Star segue la terza stagione del popolare show televisivo afghano. Ghazal Music Audition - Afghan Star Season 15, Mahali Music Audition - Afghan Star Season 15, Pop Music Audition - Afghan Star Season 15. Suicide Bomb Hits Afghan Capital Days Before Security Talks. Did you have difficulties finding funding or partners? Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star. Afghan Star was directed by Havana Marking and is distributed by Zeitgeist Films. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Setara now lives in Kabul with her husband, Yama. She lives in hiding in Kabul, unable to return to her home province of Herat. For a brief moment, Marking's lens brings some of the colors of these conflicts into focus, before dissolving into so many more questions. Mad visionaries that they are, they gave me 15k immediately. The film focuses on four of the top contestants, Rafi Naabzada, Hameed Sakhizada, Setara Hussainzada, and Lema Sahar. On the TV show she danced and removed her hijab while singing. "I am open-minded. I think that this is the most important fact about Setara Hussainzada, because it shows us how much the government thought about him when they killed him. Dont misunderstand. "I want to be famous so I can sing for my people," says Rafi Nabzaada, a 19-year-old Tajik. Setara hussainzada ended up being a bad man. could not find your e-mail or password. But the prize is considerable: as well as fame, the winner receives 5,000, which is 10 times the average salary. Since 2005, millions have been tuning in to Tolo TV's wildly popular American Idol-style series "Afghan Star." Lima Sahar. Id like to be more enthusiastic about Havana Markings Afghan Star than I am, but the fact is that its simply not as compelling as it ought to be. How did you get started and put it all together? She said she acted per her emotions. 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. When the Taliban took Kabul in 1996, they restored order but put a total ban on music and TV. On the same day, the fourth series will reach its climax - but with one important difference: Omaid Nizami, an air steward, is now presenting it in his spare time. An eerie silence ensues between sound bites. Except all she really wants to do is sing in public to let it rip, put on a show, be a star if only that wouldnt get her killed. Editor's Note: Afghan Star premieres Thursday, March 18, on HBO. Habib Amiri Setara Hussainzada Rafi Naabzada Hameed Sakhizada Lema Sahar: Cinematography: Phil Stebbing: Edited by: Ash Jenkins: Music by . Rock the Kasbah carries a dedication to Setara Hussainzada, who did come out from under her hijab in her final performance on. Havana Marking: I knew the idea was brilliant and would be commissioned, but it was my first big film (I had only directed a 30 min. Currently in its 12th season, Afghan Star is pure delight. Partnering with Afghani producers Saad Mohseni and Jahid Mohseni, Marking follows four young contestants through the third season of a wildly popular talent show (also called Afghan Star) modeled on American Idol, in which audience members vote for candidates via SMS (Short Message Service). Afghan Star is a 2008 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. Details of other showings: afghanstardocumentary.com. The show's director and host Daoud Sediqi explains that it provides an opportunity for Afghans to enjoy music again after the Taliban 's ban. 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. But when you have a deadline and a budget, you make decisions and live with them. Share your . But its just a little too flat-footed as filmmaking to suck you completely in. Eleven Daoud Sediqi, who presented the first three series, once said that the show's aim was "to take people's hands from weapons to music". The contestants are kept safe inside the show compound for the duration of the show. After thirty years of Taliban rule, with music, television and most merriment outlawed, one of the runaway successes in that broken land has been these competitions. Marking's film follows the strange odyssey of semifinalists Setara Hussainzada, . Il presentatore e direttore artistico Daoud Sediqi parte con il descrivere l'enorme seguito generato dal programma, spiegato in parte dal terribile periodo passato sotto il governo talebano, in cui non era permesso a nessuno ascoltare musica, ballare e tantomeno cantare. How much freedom is too much? (One interviewee simply states that 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. The security situation meant that, for fear of kidnap, Marking couldn't set anything up in advance. HM: Setara became the main character when she danced on stage. // ]]]]>