Not a radical act of film-making and visually, it is far from an inspired piece of work - but it's a great example of a film where the strong content rules supreme.
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06/23/09
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
Theatrical Release:27-03-2009
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
An absorbing — if, inevitably, impressionistic — picture of life in Kabul and beyond.
03/31/09
Informative and encouraging documentary.
03/31/09
Using popular culture as a window onto the hopes and fears of contemporary Afghanistan, Havana Marking's winning documentary is worth making a song and dance about.
03/28/09
Top CriticSobering and cautiously optimistic, Havana Marking’s documentary is a treat.
03/28/09
Tracking the rebuilding of this decimated, divided country through the prism of trash TV might seem trite, but Havana Marking’s ambitious if overstretched documentary is sobering stuff.
03/27/09
And while its style and structure conform to the well-worn template established by docs like ‘Spellbound’, its success lies in creating an accessible, fun way into serious issues.
03/27/09
Top CriticBut the documentary reveals that tribalism is only one of the problems. “She should be killed,” says a young man of a female contestant who dared to dance on stage.
03/27/09
Top CriticIt's a shrewd and entertaining guide to this popular phenomenon, which even the Taliban cannot quite suppress, though nothing in the film quite matches the poignancy and power of its opening minute, showing a blind child singing about the power of love.
03/27/09
Top CriticAfghanistan’s very own pop idols go head-to-head in a bright and sometimes troubling behind-the-scenes documentary – dancing is a no-no.
03/27/09
Top CriticHavana Marking’s uproarious, awareness-raising documentary tells us more about the title country than a month of newscasts.
03/27/09
One of the more surreal docs to come down the pike in some time.
10/16/09
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
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