Speech is enacted by alternating the set pose of the face with a slightly liquified version where the jaw is lower. It is astonishingly original. The film deftly weaves together the Indian Ramayana, the heartbreaking failure of Paley’s own marriage, and the 1920s jazz of Annette Hanshaw. Get the IMDb App. The human experience is also involved, Sita is not just a Goddess nor is Rama not just portrayed as a God. Sita Sings the Blues is a 2008 animated feature film written, directed, produced and animated entirely by American artist Nina Paley (with the exception of some fight animation by Jake Friedman in the "Battle of Lanka" scene) primarily using 2D computer graphics. [25], Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times enthused, "I am enchanted. Hindu groups protest the screening of 'Sita Sings the Blues' - The Times of India, A Filmmaker’s ‘Blues’ Prompts Traditionalists To See Red, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sita_Sings_the_Blues&oldid=1004985416, Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film winners, Articles with dead external links from October 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Articles with dead external links from July 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Athens International Film Festival, Sept. 2008, Best Script Award, Greece. [18][19] Exclusive right to distribute 35mm and HDCam prints of the film is split between GKIDS[20] for all theaters East of the Mississippi River, and Shadow Distribution[21] for all theaters west of the Mississippi River. The film can also be rented via DVD on Netflix as of March 17, 2010. Go see it and spread the word. Sita Sings the Blues (2008). Rama overhearing one of his subjects beating and ejecting an unfaithful consort (claiming he is no Rama to accept and forgive her unfaithfulness), he reluctantly orders his brother Lakshman to abandon Sita in the forest. The full film can also be viewed in low-resolution streaming video on the web site for WNET, a PBS member station in New York City. The smooth, repetitive, side-scrolling movement affects assists in suspending the musical episode from the more consistent narrative plot. Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Each story breathes a kind of refracted understanding in divine continual … Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys Black History Month STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events. The modern, more personal element to the contemporary part of the story is narrated using the rough, energetic Squigglevision technique of traditional animation. It satirically tells the story of Rama on his journey to save his wife Sita from the nearly invulnerable king of Lanka, Ravana. Largely for music, copyright clearance and distribution. Nina Paley has made this a very thought provoking movie. Sita Sings The Blues tells the story of Rama and Sita with a very interesting twist. [4], The voices are clearly contemporary and somewhat irreverent, unlike their visualisations, which further establishes the theme of contrast between "ancient tragedy and modern comedy";[5] Chhaya Natak shadow theatre, for example, was commonly used in retellings of the Ramayana.[6]. Writer-director Nina Paley breathes new life into the Sanskrit epic fable of The Ramayana with “Sita Sings the Blues.” An animated reimagining of an ancient and important piece of Indian culture, one reviewer called the movie “a spellbinding film that charms with its quirkiness in almost every sequence.” [8], The film uses a number of 1920s Annette Hanshaw recordings. Sita remains staunchly devoted to Rama and refuses to entertain the idea; Ravana sets a deadline for the ultimatum and Sita waits faithfully for Rama to rescue her.Aided by the monkey prince Hanuman, Rama eventually discovers Sita's location and brings the monkey army to assist in her rescue. Prix Tournage for Best American Feature Film, Honorable Mention for Best Animated Feature, Grand Prix Z Télé, Grand Prize chosen by the public, "First Mention" (runner-up), Feature Films, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You, Archie Award for Best First Time Director, Signis Award, Best Film of the Official Competition, Analysis of different variations of the Ramayana. Paley plans to make money through voluntary payments, ancillary products, sponsorships, the aforementioned limited DVD sales, and possibly other methods.[1]. Paley took out a loan to license the music in early 2009. WNET broadcast the film on March 7, 2009. Festival Internacional de Cine DerHumALC, June 2009. The film uses several different styles of animation to separate and identify the parallel narratives. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as … Rotten Tomatoes reports that 100% of critics have given the film a positive review, based on 32 reviews, with an 8.27/10 review average. Ms. Paley did everything in “Sita” — an amazingly eclectic, 82-minute tour de force — by herself. She was the artist and often the writer of the comic strips Nina's Adventures and Fluff, but most of her recent work has been in animation. Sita Sings The Blues tells the story of Rama and Sita with a very interesting twist. ".The plot joins the legend at the exile of prince Rama from his father's court, at the behest of his father's favorite queen, Kaikeyi. It has found so many admirers that it's now #42 on IMDb's list of the 50 Best Musicals of All Time, right there between "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1977) and "The Jungle Book" (1967). Years later, Rama overhears their hymns of adoration to their father and locates their dwelling. [29], The film has drawn controversy from a number of sides. Although the filmmaker initially made sure these recordings were not covered by US copyright law,[9] a number of other copyright issues surfaced, including state laws prior to US federal copyright law on recordings, rights to the compositions and the right to synchronize the recordings with images. It brings together four entirely separate elements and combines them into a great whimsical chord... To get any film made is a miracle. He sends a golden hind past their dwelling to distract Rama, who tries to impress Sita by hunting the hind into the woods. او توسط “راوانا” حاکم لانکا ربوده شد. Sita Sings is A 2008 animated feature film by Nina Paley. Sita Sings the Blues is an animated movie made a Jewish woman reflecting on a difficult break up through the story of Sita and Rama from the Ramayana. Do you have any images for this title? Boulder International Film Festival, Feb 2009. Based on a work at www.sitasingstheblues.com. [14][15], Due to terms of the music license, one limited DVD pressing of 4,999 copies was printed. "[32] However, in an interview with India-West, she did acknowledge that Lord Ram is not depicted well in the film. [33], In April 2009, the film inspired a Bangkok high fashion line designed by Roj Singhakul, titled "Sita Sings the Blues".[34]. Her husband then accepts the offer of a six-month contract working in Trivandrum, India, and moves there alone to take up the position. ... of the legend that retains many of its finer details while orienting itself on a sympathetic perspective towards Sita; in the director's words, the film is "a tale of truth, justice and a womans cry for equal treatment. SITA SINGS THE BLUES 2008 DVDRIP XVID-VH-PROD - ebooks.mzwriter.com 07/29/2009 TNX.net: Sell links on every page of your site to thousands of advertisers! Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. It intersperses events from the Ramayana , light-hearted but knowledgeable discussion of historical background by a trio of Indian shadow puppets , musical interludes voiced with tracks by Annette Hanshaw and … The opening title sequence to Nina Paley’s Sita Sings The Blues features Indian goddess Sita with the curves of planets in her animated beauty. Sita, Rama's wife, determines to accompany her beloved husband, although the woods are dangerous and overrun with demons and evil spirits. [1], In July 2011, Nina Paley made a protest video regarding the film's deletion from YouTube in Germany due to what she regards as fraudulent take-down notice under the aegis of GEMA, Germany's major music and performance rights organization,[11] but which may be an instance of a larger on-going conflict regarding copyright and royalties between YouTube and GEMA. Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, April 2009. A cornerstone of the distribution model is the "creator-endorsed" logo, developed by Paley in cooperation with QuestionCopyright.org. Torgo It's nice to see such a project succeed alone. The ancient mythological and modern biographical plot are parallel tales, sharing numerous themes. Nina Paley has made this a very thought provoking movie. In 2018, she … Although anyone is free to distribute the film, distributors who do so while giving a part of the profits to the artist can get the artist's endorsement and use the "creator-endorsed" logo on their promotional materials. [24] The film also holds a score of 94 on the review aggregator website Metacritic based on 11 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim". Film Independent's Spirit Awards, Feb 2009, Cairo International Film Festival for Children, March 2009, Jury's Special Mention, Cairo, Egypt. Tweet. Tiburon International Film Festival, March 2009. In the film, they serve as a more traditional style of dramatic narrative, although the dialogue is frequently ironic, inappropriately modern, or otherwise humorous. I am swept away. "[28], The blog Sepia Mutiny reviewed the film noting that it has "lovely, highly stylized characters" and that Paley stayed "reasonably faithful" to the original story. فیلم Sita Sings the Blues درباره “سیتا” الهه هندوها از داستان حماسی “رامایانا” است که “لرد راما” را در طول چهارده سال تبعید در اعماق جنگل همراهی کرد. Distressed and disappointed by Rama's actions during her reunion with Rama, Sita prays to the earth goddess, Bhumi-Devi, to swallow her as final proof of her purity and devotion, and the prayer is duly answered, despite the pleas of Rama and Lakshman. "[31], Nina Paley expressed surprise at the adverse reaction, saying "I thought it might be a bit controversial, but I wasn’t fully aware of how art and artists are major targets of some right-wing nationalist groups in India. Aided by the monkey prince Hanuman, Rama eventually discovers Sita's location and brings the monkey army to assist in her rescue. Eventually, a fee of $50,000 was negotiated. The human experience is also involved, Sita is not just a Goddess nor is Rama not just portrayed as a God. Distressed and disappointed by her reunion with Rama, Sita prays to the earth to swallow her as final proof of her purity and devotion and the prayer is duly answered, despite the pleas of Rama and Lakshman. [16] The film was released for free download starting in early March, 2009 "at all resolutions, including broadcast-quality, HD and film-quality image sequences", at the time licensed under "CC-BY-SA". Indianapolis International Film Festival, July 2009, This page was last edited on 5 February 2021, at 11:04. "[31] Another protestor at the same event suggested: "Trying to promote India's rich culture in such a way is appalling. The human experience is also involved, Sita is not just a Goddess nor is Rama not just portrayed as a God. Having earned the right to any single favor by saving the Dasharatha's life, Kaikeyi attempts to secure her own son's inheritance over the eldest and favorite, Rama, by ordering him banished from the court. Sita Sings the Blues (2008) Plot Synopsis. Sita Sings the Blues (2008) Genre: Animation Grade: A. The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told. Bewildered by his callous indifference to their separation, Nina sublets their apartment, leaves their beloved cat behind, and joins her husband in India. Nina Paley: "Ahimsa: Sita Sings the Blues now CC-0 “Public Domain”", January 18, 2013. A while later, Nina flies to a meeting in New York, where she receives a brief e-mail from her husband telling her that their relationship is over. Episodes with dialogue from the Ramayana are enacted using painted figures of the characters in profile, which strongly resemble the 18th-century Indian tradition of Rajput painting. [22] When asked by a media provider on behalf of Netflix in April 2010 if she would also offer the film via the company's on-demand streaming service in exchange for a limited amount of money, Paley requested that the film be streamed either DRM-free or with an addendum telling viewers where the film was available for download. "[27], Although The Hollywood Reporter declared the film to be "a rather rarified effort that will probably appeal more to adults than to children," it described it as "charming" and commented that, "Arriving amidst a tidal wave of overblown and frequently charmless big studio efforts, "Sita Sings the Blues" is a welcome reminder that when it comes to animation bigger isn't necessarily better. ... "Sita Sings the Blues" Roger Ebert December 28, 2011. Gotham Independent Film Awards, Dec 2008. In his absence, Ravana abducts Sita and demands that she submit to him on pain of death. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. I am smiling from one end of the film to the other. She submits to a trial by fire, a test of her purity; upon throwing herself into the flames, she is immediately rescued by the gods, who all proclaim her devotion and fidelity.She accompanies Rama back to the palace, and soon falls pregnant. The demon king Ravana, encouraged by his spiteful ogress sister, hears of Sita's beauty and determines to kidnap her. Sita Sings the Blues is a 2008 American animated musical romantic comedy-drama film written, directed, produced and animated by American artist Nina Paley. To conceive of a film like this is a greater miracle. When I put this in my Netflix queue, I had no idea how truly revolutionary it would be. Episodes set to certain songs performed by jazz singer Annette Hanshaw are visualized, with Sita as the singing performer, using the strikingly modern technique of vector graphic animation. When the internet television service refused to meet these conditions due to a "No Bumpers" policy, Paley refused to accept their offer, citing her desire to uphold her principled opposition to DRM. It intersperses events from the Ramayana, light-hearted but knowledgeable discussion of historical background by a trio of Indian shadow puppets, musical interludes voiced with tracks by Annette Hanshaw and scenes from the artist's own life. [23], Paley has qualified this distribution strategy as a financial success, citing that it earned $132,000 from March 2009 to March 2010. Media in category "Sita Sings the Blues" The following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. ". In April 2009, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti started a petition calling for a complete ban on the movie and initiation of legal action against all those who have been involved in its production and marketing, believing its portrayal of the Ramayana to be offensive, with some members going so far as to call it "a derogatory act against the entire Hindu community. Years later, Rama overhears their hymns of adoration to their father and locates their dwelling. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. [17] The freely downloaded files counted as "promotional copies" and were exempt from payments to the copyright holders of the songs.[1]. "[30], When the San Jose Museum of Art screened the film, a protestor said: "I'm very angry about this film and feel very humiliated by the portrayal of Lord Ram in this very perverted way...negative portrayals of Hinduism cause discrimination and religious intolerance. The site's consensus reads: "A tour de force for filmmaker Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues gives the Ramayana its animated due with a visually vibrant, dazzlingly imaginative triumph". Sad and alone, she stays in New York, finding comfort in a new cat and her study of the Ramayana. *The film uses a pared-down adaptation of the legend that retains many of its finer details while orienting itself on a sympathetic perspective towards Sita; in the director's words, the film is "a tale of truth, justice and a womans cry for equal treatment. Told through four different animation styles, involving the filmmaker's story, the Sita story, three shadow figures giving humorous commentary on the Sita story, and my personal favorite, parts of the Sita story reflected … "[26], The New York Times also praised the film's ingenuity, commenting that "[it] evokes painting, collage, underground comic books, Mumbai musicals and 'Yellow Submarine' (for starters)," and praised Paley for her use of 2D animation: "A Pixar or DreamWorks extravaganza typically concludes with a phone book’s worth of technical credits. Sita Sings the Blues movie reviews & Metacritic score: Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Ravana is slain and Sita restored to her husband, although he expresses serious doubts concerning her fidelity during her confinement. Lingering doubts still play on Rama's mind, however, and after overhearing one of his subjects beating and ejecting an unfaithful consort (claiming he is no Rama to accept and forgive her unfaithfulness), he orders his reluctant brother Lakshman to abandon Sita in the forest. But this isn’t a normal movie, it is cut up into four different artistic styles that blend Even as I started to watch it, I didn’t know what was coming but found myself charmed, delighted and emotionally connected to the story and the storyteller. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as … The demon king Ravana, encouraged by his spiteful ogress sister, Shurpanakha, hears of Sita's beauty and determines to kidnap her. Nina Paley has made this a very thought provoking movie. What to Watch Latest Trailers IMDb TV IMDb Originals IMDb Picks IMDb Podcasts. Told through four different animation styles, involving the filmmaker's story, the Sita story, three shadow figures giving humorous commentary on the Sita story, and my personal favorite, parts of the Sita story reflected …