Frontline - Season 28 - Eps 7: The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan
In Afghanistan today, in the midst of war and endemic poverty, an ancient tradition ? banned when the Taliban were in power ? has re-emerged across the country. It?s called Bacha Bazi, translated literally as ?boy play.? Hundreds of boys, some as young as 11, street orphans or boys bought from poor families by former warlords and powerful businessmen, are dressed in women?s clothes, taught to sing and dance for the entertainment of male audiences and then sold to the highest bidder or traded among the men for sex. With remarkable access inside a Bacha Bazi ring operating in northern Afghanistan, Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi investigates this practice, still illegal under Afghan law, talking with the boys, their families and their masters, exposing the sexual abuse and even murders of the boys, and documenting how Afghan authorities responsible for stopping these crimes are sometimes themselves complicit in the practice.
About Frontline
Title: Frontline
First Air Date: 1983-01-17
Last Air Date: 2025-07-29
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 7.4/10 (from 46 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 45
Total Episodes: 839
Network: PBS
Genres: Documentary, News
Production Companies: GBH, FRONTLINE
Synopsis
Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.
Cast
Will Lyman
Self - Narrator (voice)
