Berkley Center

Can an American Idol spin off unite a country, promote women, and enable citizens to experience democracy? The award-winning documentary Afghan Star answers these questions as it follows contestants on the program as they compete, campaign, and even face death threats. The screening was followed by a panel discussion with Daoud Sediqi, the former emcee of Afghan Star who defected to the United States and now works for Voice of America; Georgetown professor Katrin Sieg, who is writing a book on the impact of Eurovision; and Georgetown professor Cynthia Schneider, a cultural diplomacy expert who attended the Afghan Star finals in Kabul.