When
the
Taliban
took
control
of
Afghanistan
in
1996,
among
their
many
edicts
was
banning
popular
music,
considering
it a
corrupting
and
sacrilegious
influence.
Though
Taliban
was
swept
from
power
in
2001,
Islamic
militants
still
regard
music
as
sinful
and
have
targeted
Afghan
musicians
in
assassination
plots.
Into
this
repressive
culture
comes
a
television
show
that
has
taken
Afghanistan
by
storm
--
Afghan
Star,
a
talent
search
modeled
after
American
Idol
in
which
aspiring
singers
perform
for
the
viewing
audience
and
either
advance
in
the
ranks
or
are
dropped
from
the
competition
based
on
votes
cast
by
telephone.
In a
nation
where
both
free
democracy
and
pop
music
are
both
novel
and
risky
concepts,
Afghan
Star's
popularity
is a
bona
fide
phenomenon,
and
filmmaker
Havana
Marking
explores
both
the
competition
and
its
effect
on
Afghan
society
in
the
documentary
Afghan
Star.
Marking
examines
the
show's
audience
--
it's
estimated
that
a
third
of
the
nation
watches
it
regularly
--
as
well
as
several
top
contestants,
including
would-be
teen-pop
sensation
Rafi;
Hammeed,
a
singer
who
is
seen
as a
champion
and
role
model
by
fellow
members
of
the
Hazara
people;
Lima,
who
was
born
and
raised
in a
community
of
Islamic
fundamentalists
and
must
hide
her
identity
for
the
safety
of
her
family;
and
Setara,
an
attractive
woman
who
defies
convention
by
wearing
American-style
clothes
and
makeup,
moving
to
the
music
on-stage,
and
even
abandoning
her
head
scarf
during
a
performance,
making
her
a
hero
to
youngsters
and
a
pariah
to
their
parents
(as
well
as
Islamic
conservatives).
Afghan
Star
was
an
official
selection
at
the
2008
Sheffield
International
Documentary
Festival.
-
Mark
Deming,
All
Movie
Guide
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