Adaptation & Professional Practice Film Review - Sita Sings The Blues (2008)

Sita Sings The Blues (2008) was an independant project that was written, produced and directed by american illustrator Nina Paley. It was her very first feature film so she took much pride and consideration into her work, taking 5 years to complete the film. The film has hailed several awards which includes Best Animated Feature at Ottawa International Animation Festival and a Special Prize  at the MONSTRA festival. The film is free to all and was released to download in early 2009.

The film itself was divided into two, with one half being the explanation behind the Sanskrit poem Ramayana. The prince of a prestigious kingdom is exiled to the wilderness with his devoted wife Sita. They survive 14 years in the wilds away from society. The second half is related to Paley's own experience with love, her husband was offered a short contract abroad in india and ever since travelling over there they have grown distant from one another. Nina has incorporated an old poem to relate to her own experiences on the matter.

From the transitions between each section there are three illustrated motifs that share their own opinion on the story of Sita. They bring humour into the equation by contradicting the story and giving both modern and contemporary views on the relationships between the characters. The film has both eastern and western influences running throughout, the Bollywood styled dancing and musical sections bring the film back to the Ramayana poem with style and looks to captivate a wider audience than most influenced animations. Overall I recommend this film to people who are interested behind some of india's culture and teachings and those who watch animations with a lighter tone.