They'll see how much can really ride on a song. "If the people want pop, I have to give them pop." The first is that as humans we all have a great deal of power. Afghan Star the show and the documentary moved on, but the director stuck around to witness the fallout on its most controversial performer. Safety in Kabul really degenerated last year and hope was thin on the ground. Rock the Kasbah carries a dedication to Setara Hussainzada, who did come out from under her hijab in her final performance on. Setara is instantly labelled a loose woman and is publicly condemned for this "insult and degradation" by the ex-governor of her home city of Herat, one of whose young citizens claims sincerely that she deserves to be killed. Unrated. Afghan Star was directed by Havana Marking and is distributed by Zeitgeist Films. Seguido por unos 11 millones de personas en todo el pas, Rafi Nabzada, Lima Sahar, Setara Hussainzada y Hamid Shakhizada compiten por conseguir su sueo, convertirse en el cantante ms famoso de Afganistn. Documentary: You've mentioned that you had long been interested in Afghanistan and had heard about the talent show from a journalist. Editor's Note: Afghan Star premieres Thursday, March 18, on HBO. Although there is nothing in the Koran prohibiting music, many Islamists disapprove of music and dance as incitements to licentious behaviour. The progress of last year's tumultuous series was followed by a British film crew. Zulala Hashemi, a 16-year-old girl, raised by her widowed mother is all set to break the stereotypes in Afghanistan, city so hidebound that women on streets is a rare sight, and when they do, they are clad in burkhas. State Rep. Daoud Sediqi, who presented the first three series, once said that the show's aim was "to take people's hands from weapons to music". Afghan Star is a 2009 documentary film following four contestants in the Afghan music competition, Afghan Star. The show is hardly racy by Western standards; indeed, with men in dodgy suits and understandably limited production values, the program feels as if it could have been made in the 1970s, before the wars started. She should be killed, says one passerby filmed by Marking. Following more than three decades of war and five devastating years of Taliban rule, pop culture is beginning to return to Afghanistan. We just had to turn up and drink lots of tea and hope the person would agree to filming. She just wants to express herself with a youthful passion for which her countrymen (and women) arent ready. Backstage, horrified, her fellow contestants' voices are thin when they ask, "Why is she dancing?" Here, the film's tone completely changes, and as she realizes the implications of her actions the reality of modern-day Afghanistan is revealed to the film's audience. Sadly, most Afghans are not so open-minded. D: Are there any other filmmakers in particular from whom you draw inspiration? D: How has making this film influenced your interests and aspirations as a filmmaker? Better still, it offers the inherent drama of finding out which contestant will win. Your email address will not be published. She was passionate and brave woman (though also a little naive) who lived for music. What's remarkable about Marking's film is not just the stories of these four contestants but the way it captures everyday life in Afghanistan - its street kids, the show's fans, people talking at street stalls. The program broadcasts on the TOLO channel. Ghazals Afghans Mahwash 135 listeners Ghulam Hussain & Haider Gul Ghulam Hussain 1 listener Amank Dionti Ablaye Cissoko 5,134 listeners Show more Shoutbox About This Artist Setara Hussainzada 379 listeners Setara Hussainzada is an Afghan singer who appeared on the third season of "Afghan Star," a popular TV talent show in Afghanistan. Starring: Rafi Naabzada, Lema Sehar, Hameed Sakhizada, Setara Hussainzada, Habib Amiri. Anything left unsaid-- or something that you just didn't have room for? Afghan singer who appeared on the third season of "Afghan Star. Even the audience members must go through multiple security checks. "She deserves to be killed." Fearing for her life, Setara goes into hiding. Setara Hussainzada, Rafi Naabzada, Lima Sahar. View wiki For the two young male contestants, both varying measures of earnestness, bravado and brittle celebrity aura, the journey to fame has a dark side. United Kingdom, 2009. The Taliban had outlawed singing in 1996 however, Afghan Star went on to become one of the most-watched shows in Afghanistan. Setara Hussainzada was a journalist. It is the show that's rocking Afghanistan. You can overdo things and they lose their spirit. "Mumtaz, our driver, had been in prison for a week under the Taliban because he was found with a music cassette. Episode 01 - Kabul Auditions. Thats simply a case of cultural difference and is beside the point of the film, which is to examine the possibility of a show like this cutting through the regional and tribal differences of the contestants and the people voting for them. "AFGHAN STAR." Unrated. There would be nothing.". Silencing the Song offers a portrait of a natural star denied a stage, a cheery diva ground down by her cultures insistence that theres no place for her. Go directly to shout page. In 2007, Setara Hussainzada was one of four contestants and one of two women on the third season of Afghan Star, a widely popular TV show that debuted in the cultural flowering following the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Cassette and video players were brought out of hiding and buffed up, while tapes and DVDs were hurriedly bussed in from the exiled Afghan community in Pakistan. As the filmmakers point out, for many Afghanis--about 68 percent of whom are under age 25, according to the United National Development Programme--this is a first flirtation with democracy. I came back knowing it would work logistically, and with a taster tape of engaging characters. A look at how contestants on the a musical contest program "Pop Idol" in Afghanistan risk their lives to appear on the show. She said she acted per her emotions. Afghan Star (2009) Directed by Havana Marking Genres - Culture & Society , Film, TV & Radio , Music | Sub-Genres - Social History , Social Issues , Politics & Government | Release Date - Jun 26, 2009 (USA - Limited) | Run Time - 87 min. With Afghan Star I have found the perfect team and have the perfect bedrock: my executive producers, Mike Lerner and Martin Herring, have been the most brilliant supports, and so I know that together we can go on to make more. Add artwork, Do you know any background info about this album? When my friend and I walked into the house at around 1:30am the night before, we all woke up to find setara hussainzadas body slumped against the wall. How did you get started and put it all together? Finally, there was Setara Hussainzada, 22, from Herat in the west of Afghanistan. Floral Dresses To Chic Bags - Heres How I Refreshed My Summer Closet From Flipkart On A Budget! Then she marries one of her fans and has a baby, hoping for a measure of safety and forgiveness. Death threats, bomb scares, battling extremists in a conservative society like Afghanistan is a daily affair. "But an artist has to follow the people," he says. "But why should I hide it? Here's an article from the July 2009 Documentary Online in conjunction with the film's theatrical run in June and July.. Any of it? Check out the exclusive TV Guide movie review and see our movie rating for Afghan Star Story of Hameed Sakhizada, appearing in the third season of the Afghan reality show Afghan Star. Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star. could not find your e-mail or password. "We were incredibly lucky," says director Havana Marking, whose vivid documentary focuses on four contestants. We gave her a handycam, and so she was able to film some stuff for us. Sorry, we Setara Hussainzada is an Afghan singer who appeared on the third season of "Afghan Star," a popular TV talent show in Afghanistan. Take your "American Idol"-besotted children to see this movie. In March, shortly after leaving her job as a host on the MTV-style music program, she told radio interviewers that there were rumors someone. Afghan Star, the TV show, is exactly what American Idol would look like if the contestants were playing for the biggest stakes imaginable: political and social freedom, gender equality, a chance to heal a country 30 years under the yokes of war and religious dictatorship. We dont know for sure what happened, but we believe it was because the alarm clock setara hussainzada. And since one of the two female contestantsSetara Hussainzadais a rule breaker who goes beyond the dictates of Islamic religion (she shows her hair and . The fallout from her performance is brutal, raging from shocked disavowals to overt death threats. It seems that the government wanted him dead because he was a journalist with a great deal of influence over the countrys political landscape. I have told her leave singing because you cant be a singer in Kabul.. In America, this would be a dystopian nightmare. View rank on IMDbPro . View version history. Religious leaders soon step into the debate, putting pressure on the government to ban dancing and offer "only Islamic broadcasting.". Where: Zetigeist. HM: Kim Longinotto is a huge inspiration for me. Any work that you looked to when you started this project? Since 2005, millions have been tuning in to Tolo TV's wildly popular American Idol-style series "Afghan Star." I have no idea if he was a good person that had something to do with his life or if he was a bad person that had something to do with his death. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. Edit this wiki. I think that this is the most important fact about Setara Hussainzada, because it shows us how much the government thought about him when they killed him. Hussainzada, not so much. "If there was no music," a boy too young to remember the Taliban says at the beginning of Marking's film, "humans would be sad. While one-third of Afghanistan watches, Rafi Naabzada wins the final round, becoming the Afghan Star. Taking the inflammatory convergence of democracy, modernity and pop culture in a fragile "post-war" Afghanistan as its point of departure, Afghan Star is a powerful and evocative documentary, grounded in astute observation and led by compelling human narratives. Afghan Star's popularity is a bona fide phenomenon, and filmmaker Havana Marking explores . I just want to be a famous singer.". Except all she really wants to do is sing in public to let it rip, put on a show, be a star if only that wouldnt get her killed. Afghan Star, An Unlikely Platform For Liberation in Afghanistan, Is A Beacon Of Hope For Women. From the first broadcast a figure of inspiration and hope to the countrys women (and many men), Hussainzada sang Persian pop songs with a shimmy and a smile, and when she was eliminated in the first round, she defiantly danced her way through her final number and let her head covering slip to her shoulders. Except when it comes to Forogh, it seems. See here for our terms of service. Simon Broughton reports, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Taboo buster 2008 Afghan Star finalist Lema Sahar, who claimed the Taliban were voting for her. Down 102,732 this week. Released by Silva Screen in 2009 (1292) containing music from Afghan Star (2009). Afghan Star yearns for a divided country to be brought together by the most primal joy of all, yet by the final scenes Setara has been forced into hiding, and since the films release Lima has fled to Pakistan as well. Lima Sahar. Host Sediqi has been granted political asylum in America. Video Collection: Youtube Title: Episode 37 - Special Concert. The performers in Afghan Star, both men and women, hardly move on stage. Rating: Unrated. As the competition nears its climax, she claims even the Taliban are voting for her - because she is Pashtun. Most of the songs are indistinguishable from commercial central Asian pop, but the lyrics have a poetic quality, particularly the love songs: "Her eyebrows are like a bow shooting an arrow at me." Setara now lives in Kabul with her husband, Yama. I am 100 percent happy with the film, so, no, I wouldn't do anything differently. In the end, 11 million people (a third of the population) tune in to watch the finale, gathering in homes, fruit shops, coffee houses and military barracks. He wasn't Taliban; in fact, he was part of the government, so you never knew what was about to happen. Afghan Star. 9 Upcoming Movies Of Shah Rukh Khan We Just Cannot Wait For, Anime, Classic Games, And Porn: 6 Weird Things The CIA Found On Osama bin Laden's Hard Drive, Aakash Institute Allegedly Organising A 'Valentine's Day Party' As Per Viral Notice, Management Unaware, Dubai At Night: 6 Spots To Unwind & Chill, Reliance General Insurance's New Campaign For Reliance Health Infinity Policy Is A Quirky Reminder To Seek 'Zyaada Se Bohot Zyaada' & Here's Why We Need It, Is Introducing A Sex Toy To Your Love Life A Good Idea? For all intents and purposes, theyre both Kris Allen, yet each of them has an awareness of what they mean to a society struggling to its feet. Official Sites, View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. After decades of civil war, oppression and the crushing weight of underdevelopment and poverty, people in Afghanistan are clearly hungry for expression and transformation. It was her last performance on the show. Great memorable quotes and script exchanges from the Afghan Star movie on Quotes.net . To the home audience, its the equivalent of Sinead OConnor ripping up a picture of the Pope. Afghan Star. Young artists dressed in stylised local and westernised attires sing songs onstage, are accompanied by an orchestra of Afghan and western instruments. In January, Marking's documentary (also called Afghan Star) took two prizes in the Sundance film festival's world cinema category: best documentary director, and the audience award for a documentary. Sediqi travelled to Sundance to promote the documentary, and never came back. . D: Would you have done anything differently given another opportunity? I was determined that wouldn't happen; I knew that I was the best person to direct this film. The final was watched by 11 million people, a third of the Afghan population, all voting for their favourite singer by mobile phone; for many, it was their first taste of democracy. The show's. In Havana Marking's "Afghan Star," "Pop Idol" comes to Kabul. When you are singing, you are really full of life, says one before begging her not to stop. She was frowned upon for the scarf moment which caught everyone's attention. One of the female singers loses her scarf while singing, and as a result receives threats from those who wish to kill her. "Politics bring misery". Ms. ", Raafi Naabzada, Hameed Sajhizada, Setara Hussainzada, Lima Sahar, Daoud Sediqi. What kind of effect do you think the emotion of that whole narrative had on you and on the film? Think hard. Man in the street: [after Setara adds dance moves to her song] She should be killed. The third episode of Afghan Star Season 15 featured the Ghazal auditions. "Dancing may be liked overseas, but Afghans don't approve," says Rafi. As it turns out, the set alarm clock has helped setara hussainzada kill himself in his sleep without waking the whole house. Her act of defiance changes the tone and direction of the film, as the controversy intensifies and new ones arise. Episode 02 - Mazar Auditions. Afghan Star. I doubt she realizes what an impact she has had on the British documentary community. Did it lead you to other ideas or passions? Hameed Sakhizada, 20, is the most musical of the four. Your comment is At this point I dont know if Setara Hussainzada was a good man or not. //-->. For more information, click here. The mother and daughter duo disappear into anonymity once the show recording is over. [CDATA[> What Will is atm card is necessary for google pay Be Like in 100 Years? Afghan Star Year: 2009: Director: Havana Marking: Stars: Daoud Sediqi, Rafi Naabzada, Setara Hussainzada, Hameed Sakhizada, Lima Sahar, various: Genre: Documentary, Music: Rating: 8 (from 2 votes) Review: Afghanistan has had more than its share of troubles over the years, but perhaps there could be a way of uniting a country which has been split apart by conflicts from the Mujahadeen and the . Este documental muestra las dificultades y al riesgo que corren estos concursantes, ya que estn continuamente expuestos a la amenaza . Setara Hussainzada is from Herat and probably also Tajik. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. subject to the rules of our, THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING, Find showtimes and theaters for 'Afghan Star', Report: Warrant Issued for Roggies Bar Owner, Boston Pops Concert Move Keeps the Beach Boys, Ditches Joey McIntyre, Lawmakers pass compounding pharmacy oversight bill, Follow this list on Twitter: @BostonPopular. She was condemned by the religious leaders and faced death threats. Editor's Note: Afghan Star premieres Thursday, March 18, on HBO. It's also available to stream, download and buy on demand at Apple TV. Contestants Rafi Naabzada (lef) and Lima Sahar (center) performing on stage in Havana Marking's Afghan Star, a Zeitgeist Films release. She has started her life as a mother, still hoping to be a pop-music idol someday. After Daoud Sediqi decided to air the footage of the show, there was an outrage in the conservative muslim community. When she ventures out to a closed shopping arcade, a pair of burqa-clad women approach her; you expect a tongue-lashing but instead shes praised as an inspirational figure. "So we'd just follow the action, turn up, drink tea, wait for the moment to shoot and leave. It's a tough industry, and in the UK it can feel quite cutthroat. Conservative clerics hated her. Sahar, the more demure of the two, kept well within expectations of how Afghani women should perform in public. Here's an article from the July 2009 Documentary Online in conjunction with the film's theatrical run in June and July. There were just three women among the 2,000 people who auditioned for Afghan Star. I don't mean the film is perfect, but we do have a brilliant balance between heart-filled content and craft, considering the time and place that we were. The film will be screened on More4 on 7 April. Others go much further. "She deserves to be killed." To follow him, go to www.twitter.com/tyburr. On the TV show she danced and removed her hijab while singing. Unfortunately for Sadiqi, the continuing drama that makes the story so rich has very real consequences for its characters, and he reportedly left Afghanistan to seek asylum in the US as the film screened at Sundance. So his family were asleep for a few hours and when they woke up they saw him lying in the hallway. Learn more about Setara Hussainzada - movies and shows, full bio, photos, videos, and more at TV Guide. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Fearing for her life, Setara goes into hiding. Because of this, it became a crime in the late 1990s todance or listen to music or to watch TV. Director: Havana Marking. Start the wiki, Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. When I returned in 2004 for another concert, a Pashtun singer had just become the first woman, post-Taliban, to sing on Afghan TV. He was a great music fan, and my guide to Afghan music," she says. I have had a similar situation before, when I had an idea commissioned and then they insisted someone else direct. [CDATA[// >