Genghis Blues

I can't recommend this doc. more highly. It's wonderfully warm, touching and fascinating all the way through. I saw it at the SBIFF where it was a last minute entry; had it been entered for the audience choice award I am sure we would have voted as did the Sundance audience! Genghis Blues tells us about Tuva, a remote area, bordering on the north of Mongolia. (Remember Richard Feynman and the book, Tuva or Bust?) This is the portrait of the amazing journey of blind San Francisco bluesman, Paul Pena, to the 1995 2nd International (UNESCO-sponsored) throat-singing contest in Kyzyl, Tuva. It's a triumph from start to finish. See it!

I loved it, but my friends did not because they said it was too much of a documentary. Egad - what did they think it was going to be?!! Yes, it is very much a documentary, but Paul Pena (the main character)was such a warm character who was so REAL. Kongar-ol Ondar's (the superstar of Tuva) happiness was wonderfully infectious. The insights into the country of Tuva would satisfy any armchair traveler. I enjoyed the music, in spite of the wierd throat noise, but my friends (we are 36, 50, 52 yrs old) found the low gutteral tones off-putting. My advice is that if you would like to see a very original movie made in a very remote place (Tuva is not even in my big new Times atlas!) about a blind man with a big warm heart, and you don't mind documentaries - run and see it!!!

This movie shows the best parts of humanity: the seemingly random attraction of the protagonist to another culture, the amazing talent which allows him to absorb a completely different musical idiom merely by listening to it, the amazing warmth of the cultural hero of a small, proud country, the pride and acceptance of the Tuvan people. These all combine with the unseen presence of one of the greatest American scientists to form a unique movie.

Incredible journey, told in this documentary. It was well paced, never boring, humorous and inspiring. An amazing accomplishment from such a fascinating person.

Rating 8 out of 10

I really like this movie. It's a window into another world that I knew nothing about previously: Mongolia. It's amazing hat the filmmakers actually journeyed there with Pena. That's the part I enjoyed the most. And the music is great, too. I've been looking for the soundtrack CD to this movie, but no luck yet. I think this documentary should have gotten the Academy Award - but I guess that's politics. I also enjoyed the character of the Mongolian throat singer. He seems like such a nice guy, and on top of that he is a politician in Mongolia. I highly recommend this documentary for anyone who wishes to be entertained and watch something of substance.