New HBO Doc Spotlights Modern Afghanistan

NEW YORK: The HBO documentary Afghan Star, set to debut March 18, explores how Afghanistan is dealing with modernity and pop culture after 30 years of war and five years of Taliban rule.

Since 2005, millions have tuned in to Tolo TV’s Idols-style competition series Afghan Star. The doc looks at the Afghani people’s relationship to its pop culture by examining the stories of four young finalists on the show: Lema, Hameed, Setara and Rafi.

Events take a dramatic turn when one contestant, Setara, causes an uproar by dancing on stage and letting her head scarf fall to reveal her hair, actions that put her life in danger. A week later, when the country in turmoil over the incident, a cabinet minister speaks out against the program and many say Setara “deserves to be killed.” She goes home to Herat, where her worried family awaits. As the finale nears, the whole country is buzzing about the final contestants. After the ‘Afghan Star’ is announced, Rafi and Hameed become household names. Lema, who also received death threats, lives under protection of the city government in Kandahar, and Setara returns to Kabul to record an album. Despite pressure from the government, Tolo TV continues to air Afghan Star.