Bardsongs

A fascinating marriage of story and song, this triptych of musical morality tales that compose the unique Bardsongs sprang from the mind of Dutch filmmaker Sander Francken. Intertwined with musicians performing songs written for the film, the stories take place in the city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India; in the city of Djenne in Mali; and in the Ladakh region in India. In the first story, a collector of plastic waste is philosophical about the cards he's dealt in life. In the second story, a determined young boy is urged on by his Koran master to spend a week in the big city searching for the greatest part of all knowledge and is surprised at the answer. In the last story, a hapless farmer endures conflicting advice on his way to sell an animal at market. Evocatively photographed and engagingly acted, Bardsongs is clever, benevolent, and charming.