Trailer

Afghan Star

Afghanistan's version of American Idol provides the war-torn country a taste of democracy.

In Afghanistan you risk your life to sing. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop culture has returned to the country—and since 2005, millions are tuning in to Tolo TV’s wildly popular American Idol-style series Afghan Star. Surprisingly, the contest is open to everyone across the country despite gender, ethnicity or age. When viewers vote for their favorites via cell phone, it is, for many, their first encounter with the democratic process. Havana Marking’s film follows the four young finalists—two men and two women—as they hazard everything to become the nation’s favorite performer. By observing the Afghani people's relationship to its pop culture, Afghan Star is the perfect window into a country’s tenuous, ongoing struggle for modernity.