Afghan Star

Havana Marking’s film documents the journey of four young hopefuls in the final stages of a reality singing show. But forget The X-Factor: this is about far more than holding a tune; it’s a defiant ‘fuck you’ to the Taliban, a fascist regime who outlawed music for the 14 years they held power.

The influence of such oppression cannot be eradicated by the flick of a switch, however, as is evident from the horror-struck expressions of the show’s participants when one of the female acts skips to a few beats of her chosen song on stage. Her ‘outburst’ provokes nonchalantly mentioned death threats, a stark reminder of the conditions in which this generation of Afghanis are being brought up.

The mantra repeated throughout is 'music instead of guns', and while it’s an inspiration to see these youths pushing boundaries, it’s heartening that the older (pre-Taliban) generation share this positive outlook. In the end, the outcome of who wins the show pales in comparison to this over-arching message.