I've collected a number of links to literature, music, art and theater in Afghanistan, but this evening instead of posting these links and making my usual commentary, I decided to watch a documentary instead. While searching for movies on Netflix, I found Afghan Star, a documentary about a television show in Afghanistan. What makes this tv show noteworthy is that it's based on American Idol, only in this case looking for the Afghan Star. There are even scenes of singers who don't sing very well with the judges' reactions. The other thing noteworthy is that this was filmed just a few short years after the Taliban regime ended, a regime that had made it a crime to play music or dance.
I noted in one scene of Afghans watching the show, the face of a young girl, her eyes filled with both sadness and hope. Sadness because she knew that couldn't be her? Hope because she dreamed that maybe one day it could be? It's easy enough to put my own reality into her eyes, but it may be that it was just a sad sweet song.
The other thing I enjoyed about the documentary is the scenery of Afghanistan, the dust, the bombed buildings, the buildings rebuilt, the people in the streets, the men with guns, the smiling children. And people just went about their business, business as usual, paying no attention to the building skeletons or the army tanks. For all this wandering around I've been doing looking for information, nothing has given me more a sense of the country than this film. I think it's the first Afghan film I've seen but it's whetted my appetite for seeing more.
It also made me aware of how many cultures and groups there are in Afghanistan. I've been all over the United States and don't think I've ever seen so many different kinds of people in one place, except maybe in New York City. It seems that if Afghanistan can get it together, then any country in the world should be able to do so.
So, okay, now for some links. My recommendation is to watch the movie before looking at the other links. Especially the YouTube videos because after seeing what it was like for the singer, it makes those videos even more impactful.
Netflix - Afghan Star
This is a link to the documentary for those of you who have Netflix. It's viewable online, so no need to wait for the DVD.
Afghan's star's new refrain is a call for freedom
An article about the lives of the show's stars after the documentary aired.
New afghan songs - Sitara
The documentary shows her beginnings. And this is what happened after.
Sitara - Chera Tu Noorani
Another music video.
That's all for today. Tomorrow I'll provide links to some of the other arts and maybe also links to movies actually made by Afghani directors in Afghanistan.
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