Afghan Star

Yet another excellent documentary on HBO. Between this and Burma VJ, I've been pretty pleased with what has been on the channel recently on the documentary front.

This one is about the Afghan version of American Idol that began soon after the 2001 toppling of the Taliban government. Director Havana Marking chose a good cross section of contestants to follow.

The performances are fascinating. After years of repression, it isn't a surprise that the show is hugely popular. The societal effects are the most interesting part of the film though. The best part of the film is when one female contestant actually dares to do a slight dance move on stage and causes a huge uproar. The fallout of her daring act is crazy to watch.

This is a very good document of a quickly changing society.

Directed by Havana Marking
2009
HBO