Curated by Dylan Skolnick
Theater of the Wild
Thursday, February 15 at 7:30pm
Members $9 • Public $12
Advance reservations recommended
 SITA
SINGS THE BLUES (WORK IN PROGRESS)PLUS SELECTED SHORTS
In Person: Animator
Nina Paley
International film animator Nina Paley’s work-in-progress
Sita Sings the Blues is a brilliant, hilarious, tragic
and controversial film combining the ancient Indian
epic The Ramayana, the 1920's blues vocals of Annette
Hanshaw, and Paley’s strikingly colorful and wildly
whimsical animation style. When she was living in India
— and her marriage was falling apart — animator
Nina Paley discovered The Ramayana. As Paley explains,
“The Ramayana took on new depth and meaning for
me. It no longer resembled a sexist parable; rather,
it seemed to capture the essence of painful relationships,
and describe a blueprint of human suffering. My grief
and longing for the man who rejected me increasingly
resembled Sita's; my husband's withdrawal reminded me
of Rama. In Manhattan I heard the music of Annette Hanshaw
for the first time. A radio star of the late 1920's,
Hanshaw specialized in heartfelt blues and torch songs.
In my grief-addled state, her songs, my story, and the
Ramayana merged.” With music, humor, and a range
of animation techniques, Sita Sings the Blues retells
the passionate and colorful tale of Lord Rama, and his
devoted wife, Sita, with the crucial twist of telling
the story from Sita’s point of view. Along the
way, Paley shows how the genius of the Indian Ramayana
transcends societies and generations, and is as relevant
today as it was 3,000 years ago. Don’t miss this
one-of-a-kind chance to see this mythic, musical gem.
Plus a stirring selection of Nina Paley’s award-winning
shorts. (USA, 2001-2007, 60 min., color)
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