It is often said that nothing in life comes for free.  Well in the case of artist Nina Paley, that is not entirely true. Paley decided to give her animated film Sita Sings the Blues to the masses free of charge.  Using the epic Hindu poem as a catalyst for exploring the crumbling nature of her marriage, the film is both a jaunty musical and a historical tale on downside of unconditional love.  Featuring various animation styles, songs by jazz artist Annette Hanshaw and witty narrating shadow puppets, Sita Sings the Blue is a treat for the senses.  Before diving into the film, we take a moment to discuss our short films picks of the week: Fetch! and Dernier Acte.

If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes!  If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC) or by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com).  You can also hear our show on SoundCloud or Stitcher!

Show Notes:

  • 4:36 – Fetch! by Nina Paley
  • 12:50 – Dernier Acte by Daphné Chabrier, Laura Hottot, and Cécile Peyron
  • 20:41 – Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley

Cohost of Changing Reels, Courtney Small from Cinema Axis, consumes everything cinema from big budget spectacles to small foreign fare. He has contributed pieces to various publications and has been a guest on several film related podcasts. Courtney is also a member of the Online Film Critics Society as well as the Canadian Association of Online Film Critics.

Cohost and Editor of Changing Reels, Andrew Hathaway from Can’t Stop the Movies, is more of a hermit than his charming cohost. He spends what may be seen as an unhealthy amount of time analyzing cinematic fare as light as Magic Mike XXL and as enigmatic as The Midnight Swim. When he’s not taking a deep dive into cinema he’s contributed to books like Thoughts on The Thin Man. The partnership between Andrew and Courtney started through their podcast series on the movies of Denis Villeneuve and blossomed into Changing Reels.

The art for Changing Reels comes commissioned from Seth Gorden, Andrew’s frequent collaborator on Why Video Games and one of the creative minds behind Earnest and Purcell.