Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

roneysam Meh. Still scratching my head over the idea of how someone thought this was worth making a movie of.

Lee Eisenberg Roko Belic's "Genghis Blues" introduces us both to blind musician Paul Pena (who collaborated on some notable songs but mostly went unappreciated) and Tuvan throat singing. Pena had come across the sound while listening to his short-wave radio, and set about learning more. Pena went so far as to learn Tuvan (using a Tuvan-Russian dictionary and a Russian-English dictionary, as there were no Tuvan-English ones). Finally, he and some acquaintances went to Tuva - a republic in eastern Russia - to meet noted throat singer Kongar-ol Ondar. It was a cross-cultural experience like none other, especially when Pena got to participate in Tuva's triennial throat singing competition.This might be the only exposure to Tuva and its culture that you'll see. And you should see it. The documentary makes clear that music is the universal language. Watching it, I wondered how many types of music remain unknown to most of the world.Good one! It's too bad that neither Pena nor Ondar are with us anymore.

birthdaynoodle Blind, American bluesman Paul Peña was going through a very tough period in his life, particularly after having lost his wife, when he came across a CD of Tuvan throat singing, with which he absolutely fell in love. (Tuva is a region in southern Siberia, just north of Mongolia.) Peña not only taught himself throat singing and incorporated it to his blues, but also began to learn the Tuvan language by translating words from a Tuvan dictionary into Russian and then English, as he couldn't find a Tuvan-English dictionary. (Keep in mind the guy was blind.) He then made contact with the Tuvan music community and flew there to join them. He might as well have traveled across the galaxy.It's amazing how, despite the language and cultural barriers, Peña was able to establish a deep connection with his Tuvan hosts through a shared passion for music, particularly with the celebrated throat singer Kongar-ol Ondar, who took him under his wing during the visit. Seeing these two men jam and interact with each other, I had to wonder whether perhaps they'd been brothers in a previous lifetime. To think that they came from opposite sides of the world... Like Peña, the film's audience is treated to the generous spirit of Tuvan society. What hospitality! While the region wouldn't seem to offer much in terms of material luxury, their culture puts things into perspective and raises questions regarding our own values. As cliché as it might sound, they show there's nothing in life like shared joy, human warmth and communication. And that's pretty much what this film is all about!It's true that one may find more sophisticated photography and editing in other documentaries, but what this one lacks in technical virtuosity, it more than makes up for in heart. Beautiful and bittersweet, this is one film not to be missed.

shandrick Genghis Blues is a mythic tale of a musician seeking the source of a musical sound that haunts him. At the depths of his despair he re-engages with life when he hears a short-wave radio program with a singing that captures his spirit. For the next 12 years he persists in his research trying to find the source of the singing he heard. Step by step, he finds the path and this is the story of that search.Blind since he was a young man, Pena had carved out a journeyman's career playing blues behind many leading acts in his day. But the filmmakers find Pena, a recent widower, in a state of depression and one goal in mind. Together, the producers fashion an expedition to find the source of that sound, bringing together an array of synchronous events and people that would one day make this film in a place few people would ever think of visiting. The story is troubling and dark, as is the world of Pena, but throughout this remarkable journey Pena finds the light in the eyes of others a world away. A foreigner with no sight, he wavers in his ambitious plan momentarily, but finds the courage to make the music that eluded him his whole life. This is the story of one's man's dream come true in the worst of situations, showing how the voice of the human spirit remains alive in a sound.