12 Mind-Blowing Documentaries With 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

4. Afghan Star (2009)

One of the first things the Taliban outlawed after taking control of Afghanistan in 1996 was popular music, which the terror organisation deemed a corrupting and sacrilegious influence. Though power was taken back from the group in 2001, Islamic extremists continue to violently oppose western popular culture and music, with many Afghan musicians finding themselves the target of assassination plots even today. That an American Idol style TV show could flourish under such circumstances is quite unbelievable, though it is estimated that a third of the country tune in to watch Afghan Star, a public-vote based talent show aimed at unearthing musical talent in Afghanistan. Filmmaker Havana Marking explores both the competition itself and the effect it has had on Afghan society, including interviews with contestants who have become heroes to young people across the country and outcasts in their conservative Islamic communities.