Havana Marking

Who is Havana Marking?

Havana Marking is a British producer and director of documentary films. She is best known for the 2009 film Afghan Star which won Best Director and the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows a season of the Afghan TV phenomenon, based on the X-Factor / American Idol. Marking lived in Kabul for five months and focused on four main contestants in the series. The film changed pitch at the moment that Setara Hussainzada danced during her final performance. This led to death threats, condemnation and the possibility that the show itself might be stopped. The film also won The Grierson award for ‘best doc on a contemporary issue’ and the Prix Italia and is available on DVD.

She has subsequently made films for HBO, and More4 and has most recently finished a part-animated feature, Smash & Grab: the Story of the Pink Panthers, about Balkan diamond thieves for BBC Storyville. She is also Executive Producer on numerous films, notably To Hell and Back Again, nominated for an Academy Award 2012. Hell and Back Again is also available on DVD.