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Poster for Afghan Star

Afghan Star

Seen it?

2008 | 87 min | Documentary, Music

Saturday Specialearly rating

Why it’s a Saturday Special

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), despite a box office flop. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious. If you loved The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years or 20 Feet from Stardom, start here.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 27 min.
What might put you off
Nothing much for most grown-ups.

This documentary on the effect the talent competition "Afghan Star" has on the incredibly diverse inhabitants of Afghanistan affords a glimpse into a country rarely seen. Contestants risk their lives to appear on the television show that is a raging success with the public and also monitored closely by the government.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsBelow par

    2 wins and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $102K worldwide; interest faded quickly after launch

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 5K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Havana Marking

  • Habib AmiriHimself
  • Setara HussainzadaHerself
  • Rafi NaabzadaHimself
  • Lima SaharHerself (as Lema Sahar)