Air Date: October 3, 2009 after the Reel 13 Classic on THIRTEEN

Awesome.

Thank you so much for putting this up. It’s greatly appreciated.

Thanx 13! This is yet another reason I’m proud to be a member!

Brilliant! Danka!

Absolutely love the movie. Bravo.

hey Ms.paley,
you brought the real essence of indian mythology n asthetics thru your own intepretation..the movie came out best because of your understanding of mythology..n the characters which you have designed are absolutely mind blowing..especially lakshmi..she looks stunning with her Contemporary look..
i had never imagined goddess of earth will look this brilliant thru your art..
lottsa thanx to bring the real story of sita to the world..HATS OFF !!!!!
keep rokking !!!!!

Thank you thank you thank you! I’ve been following the story of this movie thanks to Roger Ebert and now I finally got to see this amazing movie. The music I have fallen in love with.

You have made my week, month, heck year so far. Awesome.

Fantastic, every minute. Even with some technical difficulties that forced me to restart the movie a number of times we persevered, totally enchanted. I love the mix of styles, and the hilarious touches throughout — which grow organically out of the stories and the informal group storytelling framework. Thanks for this labor of love. and not-love, too, I suppose!

Really glad to have seen this. Very creative, meaningful, and inspired.

I loved you - Nina Paley - Amazing Job - every woman should watch this.

Brilliant! Ma-effin’ brilliant!

Get this in the cultural house cinemas in India ASAP!!!

Now with cross-over Slumdog success, the time is pakka (ripe)!

Tu Jao Sita! You go girl!

This was incredible, I loved it!

A cultural Indian “Chick Flick.” I thought it was brilliant, especially because Nina Paley created the entire Short Film on her computer? My computer should be blessed with such creativity and usefulness. Amazingly enchanting!

Incredible! Incredibly beautiful;incredible psychedelic colors; incredible to match East and West, 20′íes songs with Indian Myth; matching East and West: even to consider fusing, one of the most creative things ever seen! one of the most creative things we have seen! never been done before; sacrificing woman, arrogant man… behavior and emotions part of both cultures;

We saw it twice, today!

Wow, this is amazing! Visually stunning, creative story drawing on such diverse influences, more than the sum of its parts.

Just amazing. I will use it in my Mythology class! Absolutely BRILLIANT! I hope you make more!!!

Brilliant work! Congratulations to Nina Paley.
Thank you Reel 13 for offering this.
I hope it will be available as a dvd.
Tommy K

briliiant, incandescent work. thank you so much!

Awesome is the word! The animation rocks and so do the dialogues and their delivery.A very good way of introducing our Indian mythology to the youth.Hats off to your work!

Really one of the best piece of art i’ve seen (animation, music, narration)

Too Good! Simply the best depiction of Ramayana on this side of the Pacific.

Loved this movie. Thanks Thirteen

First saw Sita Sings the Blues on Reel 13 NYC (TV), then spent the rest of the night rewatching it on the internet. I am awed by the talent and creativity of Nina Paley. Thank you so much for sharing this delightful work of art.

I knew Annette Hanshaw, back in the 70’s. She told me hated her records but I think she would be very proud of Sita.

GREAT! I can’t wait to watch this visual feast. Last year I saw half of this at a film festival until technical difficulties ended the show. I was so bummed at the time because it was unlike anything I had ever seen before or since! Now I can finally see the whole thing.

to digital nomad: nina got her indian friends to do the voices…that’s no false accent.

It is evident that Nina Paley is a very talented artiste. She is to be applauded for her talent.

That she is a talented artiste who has cannibalized one of the most widely known and respected ITIHAASAs in Hindu spiritual tradition is an act which is deplored by all of us in the West who respect and appreciate Hindu culture and spirituality.

Unlike Nina Paley’s husband who “dumped” her when he went to India, our AVATAR Raama had his wife Sita abducted by the demon Raavana. He literally moved heaven and earth to have her restored to him.

His questioning of her character was more to do with his role as the King of Ayodhya and the impact on that role of the rumours and gossip circulating among his subjects in the Ayodhya kingdom about Sita’s probity.

Western feminists and so called Western Sanskrit scholars love to prate on about the oppression of Sita. as evidenced by the Christian posts on this site . As a matter of fact Sita chose immolation rather than having her good name besmirched.

Raama had to chose between the wife whom he loved and his kingdom. As a good ruler he chose the latter.

In a society where equality for women now means not just equality of access and treatment but the untrammelled right to ape the more degraded aspects of masculine behaviour , the many- layered meanings of the sacred Hindu allegorical narratives are dismissed to score cheap points and for self aggrandisment.

It would be great if Nina Paley looked at old/immigrant religious traditions generoulsy being spawned in the bosom of her own society and applied her creativity to those. Let us see if she is so dedicated to her art.!

The voluble praise and appreciation for Nina Paley’s oeuvre as evidenced on this site indicates the famine of rich and creative ideas in Western civilization.

Such richness and crativity imbues the Dharmic( Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Hindu ) traditions

This video hurts the sentiments of Hindu’s across the world as it does not represent Ramayana in the true sense and with the respect it demands. It should be removed from the website. Learn to respect the sentiments of others!

When such a cartoon is made about other religions, there are worldwide protests. Just because Hindus are so peaceful and liberal, does not mean you guys can say anything about them.

Ms. Paley has released the movie under a Creative Commons “Share-Alike” license so that anyone can modify it, or take pieces from it, and make movies of their own. She encourages all creators to use her characters and images to create MORE art.

Those who consider is blasphemous, and who have talent at movie-making, are welcome to make an altered movie that would faithfully represent their view of religion.

Personally I am not a believer in the whole concept of blasphemy. The cure for speech that you disagree with is more speech. Explain what you think the public should know, rather than try to suppress other peoples’ speech.
Or as Gandhi would say, teach nonviolence by your own acts. So, make your own movie!

Fantastic!

Horrible depiction of the most revered scripture of ancient India. Nina Paley has no rights to compare herself with Sita. The questioning as to how Sita became pregnant is ridiculous!
Here is the answer:-
1. Like all other girls, Sita grew with her parents (she did not become pregnant then, as pre-marital sex s common only with Westerners/Christians, of course this has been brought to India only now).
2. The married life of Sita with Ram in Ayodhya (before exile) was very short. She did not become pregnant even then.
3. Sita was imprisoned for only 10 months in Lanka, and it is important to note that RAVAN DID NOT TOUCH SITA because of a curse (Anti-hindus use this to say that Ravan was a “gentleman”).
4. Sita did not become pregnant even during the exile, as I suppose no prince/princess would feel like having sex in forests (it may be possible with Western Christians). So this is also ruled out!
5. The only option is when Sita and Ram return to Ayodhya after the war and exile period has elapsed. Logically speaking, Ram is the father of Sita’s children, as they spent some days after returning to Ayodhya. And I suppose the same gestation period of 280 days holds here.
So Ram is the father of Sita’s children, and not Ravan or anyone else as “chaste” Nina Paley has claimed!
Ram never doubted Sita’s chastity. He had to send her to forests because of the doubts in the minds of his people, and people are more important for a King than his family. Know that first!
Poor Ram! There were no DNA tests then.. else Ram would have proved Sita’s chastity to his own people and such “chaste” women like Nina Paley and the commentators above! Can Ninan Paley prove that her great grand-father was born to his father??
The Hindu epics have bee ridiculed repeatedly, and I think doubting Sita’s (or any other Hindu goddess’) chastity has become a fashion.

And to all those who opposed this “movie”:-
It is a direct assault on the most peaceful and ever-tolerant people of the world. Whatever you shout, they won’t respond, the time will come when the reverse situation would occur. Be patient please!!

This is the worst production that I ever seen in my whole life. Ms. Nina, it appears you have lots of problems since your divorce with your husband. You have portrayed the most revered God Ram who is know as “Adarsh Purush” (noble man) as target and compared him to your husband. You are a disgusted woman.

The people who have praised you are Westerners and some dumb Indians who do not know the true story of Ramayan. Ramayan was not an epic or a mythology. It is actually Lord Ram was born to Dasharatha and married to Sita and he respected Sita. Your animation of Goddess Laxmi and Sita is very distasteful to all Hindus. I am not sure what Dharma you follow but if you had portrayed Jesus or Prophet Mohammad in any derogatory way the Christians and Islamist Jihadis would come after you and you would not be alive.

We Hindus request to you and PBS Channel 13 of New York should pull this back and offer an apology to entire Hindu community in the World. For your information there are Muslim Nations likes of Indinesia, Bali where Ramayan is the culture and it is preserved and respected by Muslims in those countries. Ms Nina and PBS should be ashmed to promote such vulgar depiction of Hindu Gods using public money.

Thank you.

It is good to see so many posts both praising Ms Paley’s technical and artistic skill ( from Westerners and others) as well as from a few Hindus who challenge Ms Paley’s denigration of an important Hindu narrative. Such debate and discussion serve to underline the acceptance with in the Dharmic tradition of the freedom to express one’s spiritual, moral and creative impulses.

Ms Paley however abuses the accepting and open nature of the Hindu tradition by distorting and trivialising a Sanskrit tale which has eternal and global relevance even in this age.

I take umbrage however at Ms Paley’s claim that she has been “threatened ” by “Hindu fundamentalists”.There are a small (where is the diaspora of 22 million Hindus?) number of posts from people with Hindu sounding names who express their unhappiness not ,note this, with Ms Paley’s artistic and technical skill and the choice of her subject. They express their dissatisfaction with the manner in which she has used the Ramayana which has served to portray it in a derogatory fashion and to convey highly erroneous messages about the roles of Rama and Sita and the power-gender realtionship between them.

In none of those posts are there any threats to Ms Paley - there have been no FATWA, no CYBER ATTACKS on her website, no firebombings of her house , no demonstrations calling for her death or incitements to others instructing them to seek her and to snuff out her life.

Her use of the term “Hindu fundamentalist” is also an oxymoron. a contradiction in terms. The term “Hindu ” itself stands for a tradition of seeing the world as one -of seeing the underlying unity behind a seemingly diverse world. The Dharmic tradition does not have one founder( one fundament) one book and one way of seeing the world. It does not seek to kill and maim and obliterate those modes of seeing and thinking and being which are different but accepts that the Universe thrives on diversity and difference. Ms Paly should research the history of India and Hindu thought to see how misguided she is in using the term “Hindu fundamentalist”

Yes there are a number of posts

I think it’s hilarious that despite the fact that her ex-husband is/was an animator as well, no one knows or cares who he is and meanwhile Nina is becoming more famous for pointing out that he is scum via this beautiful epic.

poetic justice. Nicely done!

Nina the Hitlar (sorry Hitlar!!!).

Due to Personal thing, act on someone cruelly without using any sense.

Sita only can forgive her.

VandeMataram

I absolutely loved Sinta Sings The Blues!!!!

I was born and raised as a Hindu - those people that are criticizing this movie are blind - “None so blind as refuses see”. Hindu religion like all others have stories and myths and a fanatic acceptance by the followers of the religion. By making this movie - Nina Paley tries to open your eyes to your own shortsightedness in believing blindly - like a blind man led by a leash; except there is no dog at the other end - just your dogma!
Most enlightened and educated Indians that I know have loved this movie - Keep up the good work Nina.

Fantastic, an enjoyable blend of styles. All those criticizing this film for “misrepresenting” their fiction of choice need to realize that this film does a great job of introducing the story to a new audience. Most of the parts you’re getting worked up over are clearly done tongue-in-cheek, lending a casual and humorous tone to the piece. Though this may bother you, I think it really helped to convey the story. If you consider it to be more than a mere story, then sure, perhaps this isn’t for you, but those of use with critical reasoning skills can enjoy it just as it is. Thanks for sharing this film!

My high school students loved it, and it fit perfectly into my World Lit syllabus–we are all still hearing the songs in our heads. I have seldom seen something so beautiful and unique that also adheres to its heritage. Thank you, Nina!

To all of the people who claim that If Nina Paley had chosen a Muslim or Christian text as her subject matter she would be in fear for her life have payed a huge compliment to Hindus around the world, and by default have cast shame on the former two traditions. If someone’s faith is unable to withstand free expression, then maybe they are not “true” believers.

Awesome,brilliant.How can I get it on my Facebook??

Thank you so much for sharing this work freely with the world, Nina. I am simply mesmerized. Thank you also to the folks above who have taken time to educate us about Hindu ways of knowing and thinking instead of simply attacking Nina or her work. It is a testament to Sita Sings the Blues that it can generate such rich discourse.

The connection between the oldie Anne Henshaw’s soundtrack/American/Indian/Techno Themes is amazing.. I know a little about the director, hence - the cynicism in interpretation of Ramayana.. AWESOME movie… could not stop watching being sober. Although recommend watching being slightly buzzed:)

Loved the film. As for the posts I read I loved them too… To communicate is a necessity.

Terrific! Can’t wait for more stories about the culture of India … there are so many interesting stories of gods and goddesses and people with fabulous color. Thanks, channel 13 for this opportunity to watch online … and down load … terrific.

I am sooooo glad that you are airing this wonderful film again.

I just learned that she is swallowed by the earth after proving her innocence.

That was what the last scene about…..

I came across the broadcast by accident. It is magic. The animation and color are glorious. Although I was turning on the TV in a distracted moment, the images and visual flow stunned me, then I began to understand the story (braided stories), and now I love having experienced Sita Sings the Blues.

I love this movie and enjoyed it even though I had missed most of the starting. Hope to watch it again soon in it’s entirety. I would love to have this as part of an evening with my friends an some Indian food, cannot wait. Thank you!

I just found out that Nina Paley is not an Indian - (was under the impression that she was an American born woman of Indian descent). This reflects even more badly on her as she has a higher bar to surpass to try and understand the epic in depth and depict it more respectfully to reflect the foreign culture appropriately.

The next time she gets dumped by her man, I suggest she use a story from the bible, Torah or Quran - will be interesting to see the reaction of people of those faiths.

So I would like to represent for the Hindus too. I grew up a Hindu. I have never lived in India, but I have been there. To write me off as a ‘Westernized’ Hindu who has been brainwashed by white Christians would be a sad and inaccurate interpretation of me and how I think, as I have grown up all over the world with friends from every thought process and culture imaginable.

I grew up with all the stories around me, including the Ramayan. As an Indian woman (same caste for generations, not mixed at all, raised in the Hindu faith) who has lived and grown up all around the world - the US, England, Singapore, South Africa, Zambia, Brazil, Mexico, I feel that I can comment back to the different people who claim to be Hindus who have tried to belittle this film. So this is what I have to say:

I thought Nina’s depiction of the Ramayan was beautiful and interesting for several reasons. Firstly, the Ramayan is never told from the perspective of Sita, because as the name implies, it is supposed to be a story about Ram. However, this story has been used to discuss the role of women in Indian society for generations. Women have to be faithful to men, like Sita was, follow them, regardless of the disrespect that is shown them by men. Some commenters have said that ‘well Ram didn’t doubt her purity, he just left her because of his kingdom’. Well, this is the whole point. He put her LAST. As a religious story, the symbolism and meaning becomes more important than the individual actions of the characters. Meaning that if Sita is a representation of how women are supposed to act in society, then Ram becomes a representation of how men are supposed to act. Ram, a king and God incarnate, had to put his wife last because of what other people might have been thinking about him and his wife. Instead of being a REAL man and standing up to his kingdom and the deep sexism of people insulting his wife to insult him, saying that she has been faithful to him always and she is the queen of the kingdom and a Goddess, so RESPECT her, he banishes her to the forest, WHILE SHE IS PREGNANT. Here is another flaw with the story - if Ram is God incarnate, wouldn’t he KNOW she was pure? And if he did know that, why didn’t he have the strength to stand up to a kingdom to honor his queen, a Goddess, and the Mother of his children?

I have never really liked this story because as a woman period and as a woman of color (in the ‘West’), I have had a constant battle against people trying to disempower me or assume I am stupid or somehow less because I am a woman - men AND women do this, because society has been brainwashed into thinking that there are fixed roles that men and women have to play in society. This story, as it is traditionally told, reinforces that conception. If you want to see an Indian/Hindu criticism of the Ramayan and Sita’s role in it, check out the movie “Fire”.

I think Nina’s story does great justice to Sita in a way I have never seen before. She shows Sita as strong - she was so strong that she never bent to anyone’s will, not even the king of the devils. Her love was so pure, and she was so strong, that she was strong enough to maintain her love for Ram (God) even after he abandoned her. She was so strong and so pure that she taught her sons to sing praises for her father. Nina shows Ram in a way that I have always imagined him - more concerned with the role that he should be playing in society based on the position he was born into (prince, God incarnate, man) than as the person that he chose to become in life, which in this story is husband and father. And isn’t that the perenial difference between ‘West’ and ‘East’? Supposedly, Westerners are too independent, and Easterners are too concerned with the public or the family’s good/opinion. In reality, I think there needs to be a finely conceived balance between both - live your OWN life. This is actually the purest essence of Hindu philosophy, which teaches methods for reaching self enlightenment. The idea is that by purifying, strengthening, loving, and empowering the self, one can make society a more harmonious, loving, and peaceful place. This goes for men AND women, not just men, with women staying at home to cook and clean while men philosophize and try to find Nirvana.

I thought that this animation depicted the inherent love, strength, beauty and fragility of women. I thought it showed Sita as a powerful being, and as a Goddess. This is never how you are taught to think of Sita in traditional Hindu tradition. Maybe as a Goddess, but she is more a Goddess by association with Ram, and not portrayed as a Goddess in her own right. Yes, I know there are many different ways to practise Hinduism, but none of the traditions I have come into contact with have depicted the Ramayan through Sita’s eyes, other than to show how devoted she was to Ram. And while I have always known more or less the whole Ramayan, I never realized that the story ended by her proving the purity of her self, soul, and love for Ram (God) by choosing to be reabsorbed by the Womb of the Goddess Mother Planet Earth. I think that is incredibly beautiful AND empowering, and I think the way that Nina did it - by singing a song of pure love and joy for love of Ram before committing herself back to the Womb of the Planet, and then showing Ram realizing with 1 tear the error of his ways (I don’t think that part is actually in the Ramayan).

I am the first one to criticize incompetent Western portrayals of the culture and faith I was raised in, because there are plenty and they upset me greatly. But I thought that Nina was very respectful, and indeed, very empowering of a Goddess figure that has always been shown to be meek, dutiful, and disposable to the good of society. I will now look at the story of Ramayan with new eyes.

So thank you Nina for your work. I think it is beautiful on many different levels.

work on it pl.

Two thumbs up!

Brillant film and very creative storytelling. I love the imagery. The music is fabulous.