I am the Blues

Today's movie at the Hot Docs film festival was I Am the Blues. After the Holocaust and crazy tickling and flag-waving, I figured this would be a bit more straightforward.

Pre-movie knitting and coffee

And it was: a simple documentation of blues musicians in Mississippi and other places in the American south. Octogenarians playing the blues... doesn't get much better than that.

Of course, their stories are intriguing and the music is great and the community seems supportive and friendly and all-round wonderful, and there were pictures of the Mississippi and surrounding landscape. It was entirely engrossing. People in the movie audience applauded when musicians performed on the screen!

And then... Daniel Cross, the director, and Bobby Rush (82 years old, has made over 200 records, I'd never heard of him) came onstage for a Q&A and a song. Wow.

bad camera-phone picture

Torontonians: it's coming to the Bloor Cinema in June! See it. They also have a website with extra footage and more.

Just because we are finally noticing that spring has sprung, I will show you a magnolia spotted on my dash out to the grocery store -- I had to buy a fatted chicken to feed to my returning son! More on that tomorrow, perhaps!