Through a strange twist of fate, one of the most acclaimed animated films of recent years has also been one of the most difficult to see. Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues, which has gotten rave reviews at film festivals worldwide, is an infectious mix of Indian legend, autobiography, and songs by the semi-forgotten jazz singer Annette Hanshaw, set to vivid animation which combines traditional hand-drawn animation, CGI, cut-and-paste, and more. A film this singular could only be made as a labor of love, and Paley, who drew simultaneously from the Ramayana and her own experiences after her husband left her, spent five years of her life finishing the film, and her effort shows in every inventive and painstakingly detailed frame of the film.

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