Afghan Star by Marking (2009) is an inspiring documentary of how a war-torn country is given a glimpse of hope through a democracy-styled singing competition. As much as it may have been a spin-off of the ubiquitous American Idol, I feel that the show is dampened because the conservative Islamic country is not “open” enough to accept elements like dancing, and women contestants. That said, it is a laudable attempt by the Afghans to revive their once state-controlled media and music industry. On another note, I was pleasantly surprised that apart from war-torn images that come to my mind when I think of “Afghanistan”, the documentary presented the scenic views of the mountainous and landlocked country, giving me a sense of hope and optimism for the Afghans.
