Some user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Quantico, where Marines train before Afghan tours. The idea of following the four finalists in the showand looking at their diverse tribal backgroundsprovides the film with a solid framework. 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. In fact, the smartest people on earth are usually the ones who are the most logical. Out in the streets, condemnation of Setara is not limited to the "old guard." Sahar, the more demure of the two, kept well within expectations of how Afghani women should perform in public. I can only hope to follow that path. To see a woman make such wonderful, beautiful and heart-filled films, be successful and still be a nice person is very inspiring. To the home audience, its the equivalent of Sinead OConnor ripping up a picture of the Pope. Any work that you looked to when you started this project? What Will is atm card is necessary for google pay Be Like in 100 Years? Ty Burr can be reached at tburr@globe.com. Find out where to watch movies online now! I went on my own and filmed for a month. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion. Better still, it offers the inherent drama of finding out which contestant will win. Released June 26th, 2009, 'Afghan Star' stars Habib Amiri, Setara Hussainzada, Rafi Naabzada, Lima Sahar The NR movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 27 min, and received a user score of 66. Our aim is to take peoples minds from weapons to music, says the shows host, Daoud Sediqi, a Ryan Seacrest with actual gravitas. HM: There were no personal threats, but a general protocol had to be followed. Why People Love to Hate 11 Ways to Completely Sabotage Your garade. Editor's Note: Afghan Star premieres Thursday, March 18, on HBO. 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). Conservative clerics hated her. HM: Daoud Sadiqi, Afghan Star's presenter, who recently sought asylum in the US, has just been granted asylum, which is great news for him and I am very happy. The progress of last year's tumultuous series was followed by a British film crew. It is not safe in Herat now. Setara Hussainzada is an Afghan singer who appeared on the third season of "Afghan Star," a popular TV talent show in Afghanistan. Even her husband fears for his life to the extent of keeping the marriage secret from his family and refusing to appear on camera without his face blurred. Afghan Star. She just wants to express herself with a youthful passion for which her countrymen (and women) arent ready. Its shrewdly structured to contain an element of dramaeven two of them. 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 observation and led by compelling human narratives. Setara, a single woman who lives alone (something that is almost unheard of), has much to fear. It's not a lot, but along with their support and contacts it made all the difference. 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. But when you have a deadline and a budget, you make decisions and live with them. 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. What kind of effect do you think the emotion of that whole narrative had on you and on the film? 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. In English, Dari, and Pashtun, with. 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. [CDATA[> She said she had feelings on the stage, as she had already been evicted (votes decide who stays). Afghan Star. The alarm clock is a hardware device that keeps an idiot at home awake. Setara Hussainzada was a journalist. During her farewell performance she dances with free body movements without her hijab, as opposed to the more constrained dancing considered socially appropriate. This documentary about the Afghani version of American Idol is good and worth a look, but I was never swept up by it emotionally. I have personal experience of such strong sentiment. Her life in danger, the young singer is forced into hiding, with the rest of the country still reeling from her performance. It is the show that's rocking Afghanistan. 1 of 1 copy available at Berklee College of Music. When my friend and I walked into the house at around 1:30am the night before, we all woke up to find setara hussainzadas body slumped against the wall. Video Collection: Youtube Title: Episode 37 - Special Concert. Man in the street: [after Setara adds dance moves to her song] She should be killed. "Mumtaz, our driver, had been in prison for a week under the Taliban because he was found with a music cassette. HM: Afghanistan is very volatile and problems can flare up in odd areas at any time. D: How did the sense of unpredictability (and danger) in the field affect your work as a director, and the development of the film? I realized early on that this was a huge liberation; we went with the action as and when it happened. See here for our terms of service. These comic reversals move at the speed of tectonic plates. When I returned in 2004 for another concert, a Pashtun singer had just become the first woman, post-Taliban, to sing on Afghan TV. We wanted a woman singer, but the interior ministry advised us it would be too dangerous. Afghan Star, the TV show, is exactly what American Idol would look like if the contestants were playing for the biggest stakes imaginable: political and social freedom, gender equality, a chance to heal a country 30 years under the yokes of war and religious dictatorship. Afghan Star premieres at . 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. . When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, among their many edicts was banning popular music, considering it a corrupting and sacrilegious influence. In the final 10, selected by the judges, there were two women. Afghan Star was directed by Havana Marking and is distributed by Zeitgeist Films. General o Since the late 1970s, Afghan people have suffered foreign invasions, civil wars, and Taliban rule. The show premiered in September 2005 on Tolo TV, four years after the fall of Taliban. Setara Hussainzada, Self: Afghan Star. Subscribe to Indiatimes and get handpicked updates based on your interests! 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. Menu. Some traditionalists said Setara deserves to be killed. "I want to be famous so I can sing for my people," says Rafi Nabzaada, a 19-year-old Tajik. At the same time, Hussainzada remains an underground celebrity of real power. Take your "American Idol"-besotted children to see this movie. Story of Hameed Sakhizada, appearing in the third season of the Afghan reality show Afghan Star. The final was watched by 11 million people, a third of the Afghan population, all voting for their favourite singer by mobile phone; for many, it was their first taste of democracy. Although Afghan Star is about pop, the music is very Afghan in character. Thats simply a case of cultural difference and is beside the point of the film, which is to examine the possibility of a show like this cutting through the regional and tribal differences of the contestants and the people voting for them. I have told her leave singing because you cant be a singer in Kabul.. But for those who are not in that position, it can be very difficult to know how to act, who to trust, and what to believe. 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. Ty Burr can be reached at tburr@globe.com. What sets Afghan Star apart from other singing reality shows is the mammoth participation by women, hailing from such an orthodox state. Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star, a 35-minute documentary debuting tonight on HBO, examines the fallout of female showbiz celebrity in a culture that isnt ready for it. Marking lacks the sense of urgency to pull it all together. could not find your e-mail or password. His company was involved in a massive lawsuit with the government that ultimately ended his life. D: Were there overt threats to your safety? Though Taliban was swept from power in 2001, Islamic militants still regard music as sinful and have targeted Afghan musicians in assassination plots. We all have the ability to influence the lives of others by our words, thoughts, actions, and even our blood. To find out more about the third episode please click on the link below and watch the full video. When the Taliban took Kabul in 1996, they restored order but put a total ban on music and TV. Share your . 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. 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. When the Soviets withdrew in 1989, after years of brutal resistance from the Mujahideen, civil war broke out between opposing factions. By what name was Afghan Star (2009) officially released in Canada in English? Here, the film's tone completely changes, and as she realizes the implications of her actions the reality of modern-day Afghanistan is revealed to the film's audience. subject to the rules of our, THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING, 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. 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. For more on movies, go to www.boston.com/movienation. "She brought shame to the Herati people," says a young man on the streets of her home town. Afghan Star soundtrack from 2009, composed by Various Artists. Details of other showings: afghanstardocumentary.com. The selection of these people gives the film an interesting dynamic because all four hail from different parts of Afghanistan and two of them are women. Afghan Star, which opened June 26 in New York through Zeitgeist, opens July 17 in Washington, DC, and July 24 in Los Angeles. 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 . Easier said than done. Music has been caught in the crossfire in Afghanistan for the last 30 years. The show is popular among ordinary Afghan people and fans vote for their favorite contestants even across ethnic lines.Contestant Setara Hussainzada is the first of the four to be eliminated. But what we see in this film is how strikingly, and tragically, Afghanistan has moved backwards in the intervening years; and how a latent national enthusiasm for having fun is pitched against a deep set religiosity, sometimes within the same individuals. See production, box office & company info, [after Setara adds dance moves to her song], Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star. Mad visionaries that they are, they gave me 15k immediately. [CDATA[ Afghan Star-Top7-Setara Hussainzada - YouTube 0:00 / 2:45 Afghan Star-Top7-Setara Hussainzada 282,849 views Feb 9, 2008 See www.afghanstar.tv for more information, or to comment on this. //-->. D: Would you have done anything differently given another opportunity? The mother and daughter duo disappear into anonymity once the show recording is over. streaming Afghan Star? A Trending Reel Challenge That Can Win Us a Brand-New Swift? Young women admired her. Women like Setara Hussainzada and Zulala Hashemi are paving the path for new beginnings in Afghanistan. Perhaps I should cover my face.. For the final telecast, 11 million viewers - a third of the country - tuned in, and the film understands that while voting for a singer by cellphone may be one of the sillier forms of democracy, its still an immensely powerful one for people whove long lacked a voice. Setara Hussainzada was one of the first people to lose his life while working for a company that was a competitor of his former employer. Afghan Star was directed by Havana Marking and is distributed by Zeitgeist Films. Not the slickest or most crowd-pleasing performance-competition docu, but it's nonetheless absorbing. Two are women, which in itself is remarkable: Setara Hussainzada from Herat and Lima Sahar from Kandahar. The reaction of the man in the street? The road to liberalism and equality seems like an idea beyond reach but it is not unattainable. Safety in Kabul really degenerated last year and hope was thin on the ground. Setara doesnt really want to be the Courtney Love of Afghanistan. I doubt she realizes what an impact she has had on the British documentary community. 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. In Afghanistan, its business as usual. The specters of repression and fear are palpable, but so too, apparently, is a wave of hope and defiance. Setara is instantly labelled a loose woman and is publicly condemned for this "insult and degradation" by the ex-governor of her home city of Herat, one of whose young citizens claims sincerely that she deserves to be killed. Three years later, Afghan Star, the country's equivalent of Pop Idol, was launched by Tolo TV, Afghanistan's leading independent television company. 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. Hussainzada, not so much. The program is seen not so much as a talent show, but as a pop-culture phenomenon that has the ability to move Afghanistan a little closer to a sense of national unity. 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. He was a good friend of the president of the company that had the lawsuit with the government. Setara Hussainzada - YouTube 0:00 / 3:16 Setara Hussainzada 200,872 views Dec 22, 2007 301 Dislike Share Save TOLO TV 1.15M subscribers Setara Hussainzada, a finalist in the Top 12 of. Afghan Star follows the story of Hameed Sakhizada, Setara Hussainzada, Rafi Naabzada, and Lema Sahar, four The shows judges drive around in armoured vehicles. The Taliban outlawed music for five years. All user-contributed . 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. Afghan Star is a reality television show competition that searches for the most talented singers across Afghanistan. View rank on IMDbPro . 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. Learn more about Setara Hussainzada - movies and shows, full bio, photos, videos, and more at TV Guide. Este documental muestra las dificultades y al riesgo que corren estos concursantes, ya que estn continuamente expuestos a la amenaza . State Rep. D: How long did you spend filming in Afghanistan? Marking's film follows the strange odyssey of semifinalists Setara Hussainzada, . Afghan Star is a 2008 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. The fact that two made the final 10 suggests a little positive discrimination was employed (judges whittle the numbers down to 10; text-messaging then decides the winner). The following are edited excerpts from that conversation. Sadly, most Afghans are not so open-minded. initFadeSlider(); 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. "So we'd just follow the action, turn up, drink tea, wait for the moment to shoot and leave. Sediqi travelled to Sundance to promote the documentary, and never came back. Did you have difficulties finding funding or partners? 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. Every so often, the neighbors call the police; at one point, 40 armed soldiers turn up at her door. Unrated. She is denounced by public officials; death threats prevent her from returning to her hometown. Setara Hussainzada is an Afghan singer who appeared on the third season of "Afghan Star," a popular TV talent show in Afghanistan. HM: There are a number of irons in the fire; hopefully, one will come off! Add artwork, Do you know any background info about this album? "But why should I hide it? Setara Hussainzada was eliminated first, and while on air she danced without a hijab, receiving death threats as a result. So his family were asleep for a few hours and when they woke up they saw him lying in the hallway. It offers a fascinating look into our culture as applied to another culture. Setara hussainzada ended up being a bad man. Movies. They'll see how much can really ride on a song. Already the show has received a warning from the Islamic Council, for "misleading the people". 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. What we get is troubling enough even before Hussainzadas child is born and further hardships are endured. The most dangerous moment. Our actions can have a profound impact on other people, and its actually quite possible to make friends and even change the lives of others. Because of this, it became a crime in the late 1990s todance or listen to music or to watch TV. Sorry, we Think hard. Start the wiki, Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. "Dancing may be liked overseas, but Afghans don't approve," says Rafi. Your email address will not be published. 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