Film: Afghan Star
What happened after an Afghan TV network launched an American Idol-style contest.
In 2001, after Taliban-era bans on secular entertainment were lifted, an Afghan TV network launched an American Idol-style singing contest. Through an engrossing montage of auditions and intimate portraits, this film captures the Afghan Star craze that swept the nation and brought music to the pop culture-starved masses.
Jeers from would-be Simon Cowells are the least of the contestants' worries: After letting her head scarf slip, one performer receives death threats. Another claims that the Taliban is texting in votes for her—but later has to seek government protection. Since this film was made, the show's producers have launched a more conservative follow-up, Koran Star, where contestants recite religious verse.
In the end, this film is less about the contestants than their fans—the shepherd who says his sheep get stomachaches when his favorite contestant is on; the rich man who wants 10,000 SIM cards to text in votes—and how a TV show that just ended its fourth season has united a country.
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Comments
Wanna know the truth. Jet Li
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue Jul. 28, 2009 1:29 AM PDT.
Wanna know the truth.
Jet Li and Gok Wan have been having an affair for the last few years. Goks wife Rachel Rose has been having threesomes with them.
When their father found out the truth he drugged and hypnotised Rachels cousin and tried to blackmail her with video tapes that they made while she was inder hypnisis.
Mr Wan (Gok's) father aka Jackie Chan was the one who organised for Rachels cousin Donna's legs to be broken but luckily for Donna there were too many people that knew that she was trying to help the people to acheive a higher standard of living.
They even stole an entire plantation of Aloe Vera to make a stockpile of fabric to launch Gok' s new fashion line over in Western Australia.
Little did they know they were for next years sheep farmers to acheive their meat target for the nations food.
LOW LIFE VAIN THEIVES.
Come on Mr Chan where are your Samurai morals.
The film was well received.
Submitted by Peter Glass (not verified) on Mon Nov. 16, 2009 1:10 AM PST.
The film was well received. The film currently holds a 100% "fresh" aggregate rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also labeled a NYT's Critic's Pick after Stephen Holden recommended it in his review for The New York Times.
