During this time, music was considered disrespectful and sacrilegious but the Mujahideen and the Taliban, respectively. While one contestant emerges as the indisputable heroine, music is the first subject of the film, and protagonists and filmmakers alike want us to see it as they do: powerful, transformative, essential. This time we got our female singer; we even went one step further, with a man and woman duetting. "Mumtaz, our driver, had been in prison for a week under the Taliban because he was found with a music cassette. 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. What was your vision? Our actions can have a profound impact on other people, and its actually quite possible to make friends and even change the lives of others. "I am open-minded. For more information, click here. Editor's Note: Afghan Star premieres Thursday, March 18, on HBO. D: While the film is observational and maintains its distance, there is an obvious empathy that comes through in the portrayal of Setara. Kabuls Hameed Sakhizada and Rafi Naabzada, from Mazar-i-Sharif, are both young and pretty, westernized without being Western. Refusing to contain her emotions, she moves her body in anticipation of her voice, briefly improvising a modest dance step. Finally, there was Setara Hussainzada, 22, from Herat in the west of Afghanistan. What sets Afghan Star apart from other singing reality shows is the mammoth participation by women, hailing from such an orthodox state. X . Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company. Were All in for Arena Reel Star. In this episode only, those with high music talent succeeded to the next auditions (Top 160). NewsyVideos. Her act of defiance changes the tone and direction of the film, as the controversy intensifies and new ones arise. In the final 10, selected by the judges, there were two women. Habib Amiri, Setara Hussainzada, Rafi Naabzada, Lima Sahar, Hameed Sakhizada, Massoud Sanjer. I have told her leave singing because you cant be a singer in Kabul.. Would you like to receive event invitations, funding news, and other updates from the International Documentary Association? She should be killed, says one passerby filmed by Marking. Afghan Star. 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. On this audition, the Ghazal fans from all over the country participated to show their talents in order to satisfy the judges for getting a success card which advances them to the next steps of auditions and finally to the top 12. In America, this would be a dystopian nightmare. Setara Hussainzada, Self: Afghan Star. Setara: An Afghan Fallen Star. I was determined that wouldn't happen; I knew that I was the best person to direct this film. I realized early on that this was a huge liberation; we went with the action as and when it happened. . Quantico, where Marines train before Afghan tours. STARmeter. Is Netflix, Amazon, Fandor, iTunes, etc. Setara Hussainzada is from Herat and probably also Tajik. Coiffed, painted and bedecked in festive but traditional dress, Setara is nervous but defiant in a televised performance. Day-to-day, it affected us because we couldn't really plan anything in advance due to kidnap threat. Afghan Star, which opened June 26 in New York through Zeitgeist, opens July 17 in Washington, DC, and July 24 in Los Angeles. Setara hussainzada ended up being a bad man. View wiki Electric Sunroof, Head Up Display & Other Features That Make The All New Hot & Techy Brezza A Hit. When the Taliban were taken out of power in 2001, it was no longer a punishable crime in Afghanistan to watch TV, dance, or listen to popular music. Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. As it turns out, the set alarm clock has helped setara hussainzada kill himself in his sleep without waking the whole house. Edit this wiki. [1] Contents 1 Format During the 1970s, Kabul had miniskirts, rock concerts and Ahmad Zahir, the Afghan Elvis - still universally popular in the country today, despite dying in a mysterious car accident in 1979. 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. Havana Marking: I knew the idea was brilliant and would be commissioned, but it was my first big film (I had only directed a 30 min. To see a woman make such wonderful, beautiful and heart-filled films, be successful and still be a nice person is very inspiring. Women like Setara Hussainzada and Zulala Hashemi are paving the path for new beginnings in Afghanistan. Even the audience members must go through multiple security checks. It brings an energy and spontaneity to the film.". Winner of both World Cinema-Documentary Audience and Directing Awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, the feature debut for British director Havana Marking is a rare snapshot of a society in transition--unmoored and unpredictable. The film focuses on four of the top contestants, Rafi Naabzada, Hameed Sakhizada, Setara Hussainzada, and Lema Sahar. The movie, which won directing and audience awards at this years Sundance, follows the shows third season, launched in October 2007, and focuses on four contestants from the more than 2,000 who auditioned. This country was like a house that no one was living in, says Rafi, implying that the lights are coming on again, one by one. When I am performing, I am singing for the people, the feeling of freedom comes to my soul. As broadcast networks blossomed, Tolo TV built Afghan Star explicitly on the American Idol model. 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. Its shrewdly structured to contain an element of dramaeven two of them. I think this is the most important thing about Setara Hussainzada, because it shows us how much the government thought about him. Afghan Star inspires, entertains and gives hope to a thriving young nation healing . Running time: 87 minutes. Premiering on HBO2 on 26 January, the new film follows Setara's experience since her last performance on the TV show, in which she memorably danced and removed her headscarf, led to condemnation. United Kingdom, 2009. Afghan Star. Current holds. The film, funded by More4 and the BritDoc Foundation, receives its British premiere in London this Friday. Though Taliban was swept from power in 2001, Islamic militants still regard music as sinful and have targeted Afghan musicians in assassination plots. HM: It has made me really want to tell more stories and make more films. Este documental muestra las dificultades y al riesgo que corren estos concursantes, ya que estn continuamente expuestos a la amenaza . The contestants are kept safe inside the show compound for the duration of the show. I am confident now that I can and do have a way of directing that works. Im so happy! Setara hussainzada ended up being a bad man. I came back knowing it would work logistically, and with a taster tape of engaging characters. United Kingdom's official submission to 82nd Academy Award's Foreign Language in 2010. During her farewell performance she dances with free body movements without her hijab, as opposed to the more constrained dancing considered socially appropriate. Director: Havana Marking. When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, among their many edicts was banning popular music, considering it a corrupting and sacrilegious influence. She was frowned upon for the scarf moment which caught everyone's attention. Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star. General o Since the late 1970s, Afghan people have suffered foreign invasions, civil wars, and Taliban rule. The governing irony is that one cultures pop junk is anothers salvation. Despite the chaos, the hunger for music - prohibited under Taliban rule - was incredible. 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. Launched in 2005, Afghan Star quickly became the most popular show in the country satiating the nation's thirst for home grown entertainment and filling a void left in the local music scene after decades of war. Our aim is to take peoples minds from weapons to music, says the shows host, Daoud Sediqi, a Ryan Seacrest with actual gravitas. Floral Dresses To Chic Bags - Heres How I Refreshed My Summer Closet From Flipkart On A Budget! Official Sites, View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. 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". Your email address will not be published. Rafi (a 19-year-old idol-in-the-making from Mazar e Sharif), Hameed (a classically trained musician from the persecuted Hazara ethnic group), Lima (a 25-year-old woman from conservative Kandahar) and Setara (a 21-year-old woman from Herat): Each subject has a unique story that brings broader issues into focus. 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. 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? Setara Hussainzada is an Afghan singer who appeared on the third season of "Afghan Star," a popular TV talent show in Afghanistan. Beige Luciano-Adams is a journalist based in Los Angeles, where she covers politics, business, arts and culture for a variety of publications. But what we see in this film is how strikingly, and tragically, Afghanistan has moved backwards in the intervening years; and how a latent national enthusiasm for having fun is pitched against a deep set religiosity, sometimes within the same individuals. Fearing for her life, Setara goes into hiding. I went on my own and filmed for a month. . When one of the female contestants takes off her headscarf to sing, one feels a little uneasy; as an outsider, one can only guess at the true nature of the risks she is taking. She then returns home to her family. It's also available to stream, download and buy on demand at Apple TV. We gave her a handycam, and so she was able to film some stuff for us. Mostly Islamist in outlook, the Mujahideen placed restrictions on music and outlawed women singers. In these scenes, filmmaker Havana Marking shows a country struggling to redefine itself after decades of repression. For the two young male contestants, both varying measures of earnestness, bravado and brittle celebrity aura, the journey to fame has a dark side. 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. It's not a lot, but along with their support and contacts it made all the difference. 2 wins & 3 nominations. She just wants to express herself with a youthful passion for which her countrymen (and women) arent ready. Imagine this scenario: Instead of winning American Idol in 2005, Carrie Underwood is voted off the show for conduct unbecoming a woman basically, for enjoying herself while singing. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker. 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. Death threats, bomb scares, battling extremists in a conservative society like Afghanistan is a daily affair. Why People Love to Hate 11 Ways to Completely Sabotage Your garade. When her head scarf slips off, she does not replace it. Setara was eventually evicted from her home. film before: The Crippendales) and so I was the hurdle. Suicide Bomb Hits Afghan Capital Days Before Security Talks. . Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star, a 35-minute documentary debuting tonight on HBO, examines the fallout of female showbiz celebrity in a culture that isnt ready for it. Sorry, we All Rights Reserved. The alarm clock is a hardware device that keeps an idiot at home awake. Did you have difficulties finding funding or partners? Afghan Star is a reality television show competition that searches for the most talented singers across Afghanistan. Required fields are marked *. He was also the president of a company that had a legal fight with the government. For the final telecast, 11 million viewers - a third of the country - tuned in, and the film understands that while voting for a singer by cellphone may be one of the sillier forms of democracy, its still an immensely powerful one for people whove long lacked a voice. His family thought he was dead because they didnt see him for two days, but his evil plan backfired when he woke up to see his wife, son, and daughter lying dead on the floor. But contestants on the country's answer to Pop Idol are risking not just humiliation, but their lives. 0 current holds with 1 total copy. Think hard. When Silencing the Song picks up a year later, Hussainzada has married one of her fans and is eight months pregnant, but her life is in disarray. We just had to turn up and drink lots of tea and hope the person would agree to filming. The program broadcasts on the TOLO channel. It is one of the most disturbing scenes in the film: we see her headscarf slip as she moves - modestly - to the music. I went to Afghanistan in January 2002, just a few months after the Taliban fled Kabul, to make a documentary for the BBC about the return of music to the capital. IMDB: 7.3 . Your email address will not be published. Silencing the Song: An Afghan Fallen Star, a documentary by Havana Marking released in January 2011 revisiting Setara as she deals with continuous death threats. Setara, a single woman who lives alone (something that is almost unheard of), has much to fear. Afghan Star, reality TV show, searches for most-talented singers across Afghanistan, a war-torn nation. When the Taliban took Kabul in 1996, they restored order but put a total ban on music and TV. Available copies. 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. Contestants Rafi Naabzada (lef) and Lima Sahar (center) performing on stage in Havana Marking's Afghan Star, a Zeitgeist Films release. Setara Hussainzada was eliminated first, and while on air she danced without a hijab, receiving death threats as a result. Here's an article from the July 2009 Documentary Online in conjunction with the film's theatrical run in June and July.. Starring: Setara Hussainzada, Lima Sahar, Hameed Sakhizada, Rafi Naabzada, Daoud Sediqi. When you are singing, you are really full of life, says one before begging her not to stop. The most dangerous moment. In my own country, I tend to decry this kind of cheap entertainment, and there's a sense in which the reactionaries have a point when they lament the invasion of foreign culture; but they offer only regression and ignorance as an alternative. The progress of last year's tumultuous series was followed by a British film crew. How much freedom is too much? A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. Habib Amiri Setara Hussainzada Rafi Naabzada Hameed Sakhizada Lema Sahar: Cinematography: Phil Stebbing: Edited by: Ash Jenkins: Music by . Scrobble, find and rediscover music with a Last.fm account, Do you have the artwork for this album? What Will is atm card is necessary for google pay Be Like in 100 Years? Now I have a set alarm clock (more accurately, it keeps me up late) and dont have a problem getting up because I know exactly when it is. 2023 International Documentary Association. The reaction of the man in the street? Maybe theyll come away with a knowledge of how much can really ride on a song. Afghan Star's popularity is a bona fide phenomenon, and filmmaker Havana Marking explores . As the competition nears its climax, she claims even the Taliban are voting for her - because she is Pashtun. The most cocksure of the contestants, he is filmed going to the shrine of Hazrat Ali in his home city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where an imam prays for his victory. The show's director and host Daoud Sediqi explains that it provides an opportunity for Afghans to enjoy music again after the Taliban 's ban. There would be nothing.".