* SERIOUS FLAWS * BIG BLUNDERS * inappropriate music!!

[deleted]

That's interesting. But on the other hand the director is born in Iran, so one might think he is very well aware what is of afghanistan origin and what is from india. Myself as a german would easily recognize what song comes from spain and what from finland, although i don't speak either languages and never been to either countries, to use an analogy. Plus he said in some interview that Iranians have contact to Afghani people all the time as many of them work in Iran, so you might expect he knows at least something about their language and culture to not mistake afghani and hindu songs. Plus he does know a lot about that culture and this is not his only movie concerning this topic, so i really don't think he screwed up or didn't know what he's doing. Maybe he did that intentionally for some strange reason.

I have always thought that the use of Suprabhatam in Kandahar is one of the best example of brilliant use of music.Although I have not seen the entire film, I have seen the clip with the Suprabhatam playing.Satyajit Ray talked about a film aesthetic which uses Indian music.Well seemingly no Indians seem to use classical music, except for Ray himself and Ghatak.So if Makhmalbaf is developing an aesthetic i think its very interesting.
i think what Makhmalbaf attempts may be compared to what Wong Kar Wai also attempts in Chungking Express with the use of Punjabi music.Do try to get this film as well

Plus singing a song in praise of another God instead of Allah would not be permissible in Islam the religion of Afghanistan.

Why exactly is it such a "SERIOUS FLAW" or "BIG BLUNDER" in using using music from different cultures in a film? It is done by filmmakers across the world. Music is often used to set a tone and mood for a scene in a film. I personally didn't find anythng wrong with it. I have lived in different cultures, including India, the west etc., and I find it very interesting when some artist tries to bring elements of different cultures into their art.

What exactly is so offensive in using Sanskrit verses in an film about Afganistan. ("bloody Afgani" as you put it)? It seems you are one of those breed of people who believe that filmmakers from one culture should stick to their own culture's music or elements to use in their films. If one follows that school of thought the entire Bollywood (read: filth, garbage, fecal) industry should be burned to the ground, since mainstream Indian filmmakers gleefully plagiarize not only entire scripts but even music from the west for the trash they churn out. Does that make you much different from the fundamentalist, pea-brained religious extremists like the Taliban? I cant see any difference.

You need to get out of your cocoon of smug, and definitely misguided, self-satisfaction and try shed your xenophobic attitude. Learn to be a little tolerant. Or you can continue to bark like a rabid dog, foaming at the mouth, about the "BIG BLUNDERS" serious and respected filmmakers like Makhmalbaf make by using oh so sacred Sanskrit texts. If you cant understand how to produce a well thoughtout and reasonable critique, then stick to Bollywood. Your brain cant seem to handle anything above that trash.

I too was taken aback a bit when I heard this vedic "song" used in an Afghani film but began to think that the director may have chosen this piece because a)the "auspicious dawn" aspect since Nafas' sister is choosing to commit suicide on the eclipse day (hardly auspicious though)or b)the director was making a veiled reference to Afghanistans pre-Muslim past which was vedic or Hindu. After all, Gandhari (of the Mahabharata) was from Kandahar. Then of course maybe he just used it because the piece "just worked". I know that once I over came my disconernment as to its presence in the movie, I looked forward to hearing it each time it came up.

I'm not sure where the HUGE blunder is. Remember that Afghanistan has many Pakistani refugees. Regardless of Pakistan being an Islamic country, there's still a small amount of Hindus there.

On top of that, music is meant to make people feel... set moods, etc in movies. There's music from numerous cultures in American films, would hearing an Indian song in an American movie have been as offending to you?

Remember, this isn't a completely Afghani film. Remember the writers are iranian. The lead actress was an Indian born woman raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, who later immigrated to Canada. The movie was also initially released in Iran and France. I'd certainly say this gives it a multi-cultural flare, despite being filmed in Afghanistan, and revolving around Afghan culture.

Indian music is immensely popular in Central and South Asia.

This is the music the Taliban outlawed, and the Afghan people secretly listened to and still listen to, to this day.

The movie is not amateurish. Rather is is quite amazing what was accomplished in the time and place that it was accomplished.

Your problem is that you see things in black and white.