Breaking up, as the song goes, is hard to do. Some people find solace in the music and literature of those who have come before, others exorcise anger through their own art and writing. Nina Paley, the filmmaker behind the brilliant Sita Sings the Blues, did both.
Sita Sings the Blues is a modern retelling of the Ramayana, a classic epic poem from India. Paley focuses primarily on the relationship between Prince Rama and his wife Sita, and tells it from a distinctly feminine perspective. The film relates Sita's devotion to her husband, his doubts regarding her purity after she is kidnapped by a rival, and the anguish this rejection causes her. Sita, however, is given a contemporary (and dare we say, feminist?) twist by Paley's use of a soundtrack by American torch singer Annette Hanshaw. The narration, provided by a chatty trio of traditional Indian shadow puppets, further serves to both modernize and humanize the characters of this ancient text. Woven throughout and supported by Sita's tale is Paley's own story of a distant spouse and a doomed relationship, bringing the Ramayana fully up to date for today's audience.
Oh, and did I mention that the entire film is animated? Gorgeously, lushly, intricately, animated?
Unfortunately, upon completion of the film, Paley ran into copyright issues with the Annette Hanshaw recordings. The songs were public domain when Paley started work on the film, but apparently the composition of those songs, as well as the lyrics themselves, are still protected by copyright. (Since the main character is drawn singing the songs, the film was found to be in violation.) After much deliberation and negotiation with the copyright holders, Paley borrowed $50,000 to license the rights and decriminalize the songs for use in the film. She has since released Sita Sings the Blues under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License, and is distributing freely through the Sita website.
For more information, as well as links to download the film, please visit sitasingstheblues.com. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer:
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