This is my blog about my interests in photography and film-making, also my travels as well as other items that I feel may be of interest. I also run the Photography equipment website, Filmcam....................................... IF YOU WANT TO ENLARGE ANY IMAGE BELOW SIMPLY CLICK ON IT !

Monday, March 23, 2009

Afghan Star

Last Wednesday I went to see the Premiere of "Afghan Star" at Bridport's Electric Palace Cinema. The film-maker Havana Marking was there also. She has made a remarkable documentary about a pop-idol TV programme that goes out in Afghanistan. You may have heard about it on the news. Around 2000 enter the singing competition, and 3 of them are women. Even though the Taliban are not in power, this is a very risky thing to do, and the women can receive death threats. It's an inspiring film though, showing the ordinary Afghans going about their lives, and their various attitudes to this rather modern TV show. Do see it if you can. It won awards at the Sundance festival. I understand it's now being shown at a London cinema, and later to go on Channel 4.

One of the women singers came from Herat, another hailed from Kandahar, two towns I remember well from the seventies. Here's one or two 35mm slides of Kandahar....taken with my old Kodak Retinette on Kodachrome II.