When Nina Paley‘s husband moves to India, then dumps her by email, she found in an ancient Indian epic Ramayana a strong parallel to her story. And since she is an artist and animator with a laugh-out loud sense of humour, her film Sita Sings the Blues retells a modern story -with a feminist twist- of goddess Sita’s separation from her beloved Lord and husband Rama.

Visual stunning, Singa Sings the Blues manages to be fun & subversive for children & adults. While the movie got rave reviews and countless prizes from International Festivals, you are unlikely to see it in theaters because of a Copyright requirement from a big-brother type corporation. She has also become a strong defender of the Freedom of Art in this article on how copyright suppresses art.

The movie is a must see, not only because Nina Paley realized it entirely on her home computer, but also because You can find it on Youtube but if you have a chance, catch it on a big screen at the Symphony Space in NY with a Q&A with the director following each screening (February 7th & 14th).

Now if the Gods can’t stay married, it is not short of a miracle that humans still try to tackle such a challenge…

Berlin International Film Festival: Crystal Bear

Denver International Film Festival: Emerging Filmmaker Award

San Francisco Film Critics Circle: Special Citation

“Critics Pick! A Tour de Force! Dazzling! Affecting, surprising and a lot of fun.” – AO Scott, New York Times

“Four Stars! Universal and Completely Unique!” – David Fear, Time Out New York

“I am enchanted. I am swept away. I am smiling from one end of the film to the other. It brings together four entirely separate elements and combines them into a great whimsical chord. A miracle!” – Roger Ebert