Afghan Star
Here is a videotaped British documentary about the resurgence of western influence Afghanistan style after years of cultural infighting, foreign occupation and religous suppression. A TV producer seeks to use an "American Idol" formt to bring together a fragmented and proud culture, as he says "to replace arms with music in the hands of the Afghan nation". Successful by any account he definitely stirs up the forces taht held in place all of the opression which converted a modern civilization of the 80's [at least in major population cenetrs] to a fearful backward theocracy in which people hide their TVs and where burqas not by choice but by edict. The prevelance of English speaking Afghans is unexpected [British influence as in India] and adds to the charm of re-awakening in which population in favor seem to be naively sweet people. Everyone seems to be speaking on their own behalf and there is no heavy handedness that appears in so many of these type films. Uplifting and powerful.