Putting in a good word for oft-derided reality TV is one of the side effects of “Afghan Star,” a stirring documentary that finds a new angle on a country still painfully trying to sort itself out.
The title refers to a television show that has united the country of Afghanistan, or at least most of it. It’s a singing competition along the lines of “American Idol,” and viewers vote for the favorites in a similar manner; for the 2008 season, one-third of the country tuned in to the final episode.
Those not enthusiastic about the show would include the more conservative members of Afghan society, such as the remaining Taliban. Oddly enough, Taliban members can’t get enough of “Project Runway.” Who knew?
Made that last part up.
But this film demonstrates that even a vapid entertainment program takes on a certain righteous air when you recall that concepts such as “singing” and “television” were outlawed in Afghanistan under the religious rule of the Taliban.
And in fact, although it’s reassuring to see joyful music returning to public life in Afghanistan, cracks are revealed by the show’s success, too.
We watch the finalists, two of them female, compete in the last weeks of the season. The women are under the microscope: It’s one thing to allow music on TV, but quite another to allow a woman to express herself in a way that could be construed as even mildly suggestive.
For the purposes of the program, that means dancing along to a song — or even just moving around a bit. One remarkable contestant, Setara, is especially defiant in this regard. Even in a liberated Afghanistan, this means death threats.
The other people we meet are interesting, and the tactics taken by various contestants to win first prize (worth $5,000) are amusing.
But the greatest asset of director Havana Marking’s film is the overall portrait of Afghan society, which — because it has no political ax to grind — shows us images that go beyond the headlines.
“Afghan Star” does well in balancing its “Hey, we all have a shared humanity” message with an acknowledgment of sticky problems in Afghanistan, especially around the issue of women’s rights.
And it’s a reminder of the power of television. We shall see if Setara’s modest shimmy has a ripple effect down the line.
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