GENGIS BLUES
THE STORY OF A BLIND BLUES MUSICIAN’S JOURNEY
TO THE LOST LAND OF TUVA
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
WINNER SUNDANCE AUDIENCE AWARD
1999 – 90 minutes – Color – Produced and Shot by: Roko and Adrian Belic – Written, Directed, Edited by Roko Belic - Wadi Rum Productions – DOCURAMA
Gengis Blues is a road trip that pulls you in and takes you on an incredible voyage to the lost land of Tuva. This is a wonderful nonfiction story. Paul Pena, a blind blues musician living in San Francisco, hears some strange music, coming from Radio Moscow, on his ham radio one day. He ultimately discovers that what he’s hearing is throat singing; a form of singing that produces multiple harmonic vocal tones and is unique to the Tuvan people in Central Asia near Outer Mongolia. An area the size of South Dakota that has essentially held on to its culture and traditions, despite being an independent country for only a short period of time in its history. Tuva resisted, to a large extent, the attempts of the Soviet Union to bring it into the Soviet culture.
After much research Paul finds a CD called TUVA – Voices from Central Asia. Listening to the CD Paul masters the technique and at a concert demonstrates it to Kongor-ol Ondar , a Khoomei throat singer from Tuva. Kongor-ol was invited to do the concert by Friends of Tuva, a small group interested in Tuvan culture. Kongor-ol is so impressed with Paul that he invites him to come to Tuva for a festival and Khoomei competition. Friends of Tuva begins work on getting Paul to Tuva for the competition.
In short order some filmmakers and others come aboard to go with Paul and a few other people to Tuva for the competition. Judging by the extensive coverage included in the film, Roko and Adrian Belic, aided by others in the crew were able to shoot events in an intimate and personal fashion. The filmmakers did not make an ethnographic or anthropological documentary, however, they did capture many unfiltered aspects of Tuvan life at this time in their history.
This documentary is an intimate look into not only the notion of throat singing but also how music can bring people with diverse cultures together. The filmmakers go along as both participants and observers to record the trip, Paul’s meeting with the Tuvan people, the culture, competition, and the music. The idea of documentary filmmakers including themselves in the actuality of the story goes back to attempts by filmmakers in the 1920′s to create a pure cinematic language. Dziga Vertov’s, The Man With The Movie Camera is one example of this style.
Filming a road trip, gathering footage, is not easy. The most difficult part comes in the editing of the footage. Reviewing the footage and coming up with a story that gives the viewer the actual feel of the journey. A story must be constructed that reaches back into Paul Pena’s life, his work in San Francisco, his discovery of throat singing, and the time spent with the Tuvan people. The editing of the documentary manages to keep the viewer involved and participating in the events as they unfold. Archival footage of Paul Pena and also historical footage of the Tuvan people is used in the film.
There is a darker side to the trip in which we learn something about what it is to be blind and uprooted from the world you know to another world where you have no familiarity. Paul becomes anxious and stressed after days on the road where he is constantly meeting new people. Friendly people, all wanting to talk to him and hear him sing. But it becomes obvious that the experience is taking its toll on him.
One of the most wonderful aspects of the documentary is Paul’s time with the children of the area. They are fascinated with this American who Kongor-ol has nicknamed “Earth Quake.” The children do throat singing and Paul plays some blues for them.
Paul performs once at the beginning of the competition and once at the end. He not only sings traditional Tuvan songs, he composes new songs which he sings and plays in a blues style. The Tuvan people love the fact that he has tried to learn their language and their style of singing. The music used in the film is either Tuvan singing or Paul Pena’s original music.
This film also shows how the culture of these people has survived. Their way of life is close to nature, their needs not complicated. It provides the viewer with cultural information, an understanding of this form of singing and at the same time is entertaining.
Paul Pena born January 26, 1950 passed away on October 1, 2005.
JRMartin
Clip Genghis Blues
Tags: BLUES, Documentary Film Review, GENGIS BLUES, TUVA
