QuestionCopyright.org: Nina Paley "Sita" Interview (Highlights), 6 Nov 2008

[mphello]

Once one establishes these "meta-laws" (a law or general property about laws), then you acknowledge that I could support harsh copyright laws, only to be accused of violating that law itself. Of course, it is almost always the case throughout history that advocates of a particular law write that law in such a way that it will PRACTICALLY never be used against them: i.e. so that nobody could mistaken THEM of breaking that law.

[mphello]

ALL laws can only make an action illegal. There's really no such thing as a law making an action legal. e.g. "A constitutional amendment making guns legal" is equivalent to making it illegal for someone to take away your gun.

2nd: any law anyone advocates can possibly be used against them, no matter how unlikely.

e.g. I (a white person) could support making it illegal for blacks to vote. But, someone might mistake ME for a black person and arrest me for voting.

[almishti]

Anyone who doesn't feel their own humanity reflected in this movie, and doesn't at least get a little misty-eyed, must surely be dead inside. And all the religion in the world won't save you then. Lighten up.

[akshay377]

I cant even think of doing this to ur Jesus coz i also consider him to be a form of god......You have lost it....God Bless U

[xdiam0ndsx]

all i wanna know is if what inspired her to make this movie is that her ass was so whipped by her man that left her for india lol

[SabStudiosMusic]

everyone who obtains intellectual property without proper means of payment should rot in hell because they are aiding in the loss of THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN JOBS..... this is not the democracy America is supposed to be...where we hurt fellow citizens livelihoods by being ignorant to the fact that intellectual property creation is a job and without being subsizdized one way or another will hurt OUR CULTURAL CAPITAL and that CC my friends, is WHAT MAKES AMERICA GREAT

[molewizard]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't copyright monetary?

Not-for-profit art does not fall under the banner of copyright, does it?

[Freakish108]

well i'm Hindu, and personally i loved your film and so did everyone else i know who saw it. (who are also hindu) :) and it probably would've been nominated for an Oscar.

[amitexo]

@Freakish108 from which damn ffreakin angle r u a hindu?being a resident of india doesnt automatically makes u a hindu im afraid.NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR?r u for real?do u read before u post a comment at all?u sound like a retard for gudness sake!stop making a fool out of urself(u already call urself a freak anyway so...)she is so not gud that she has to offend to get attention on her shit works,isnt tat cheap!she's pathetic n u shud really watch more works from REAL artists(ur knowledge is shit)

[Freakish108]

@amitexo Yes I happen to be a Hindu, if you weren't so busy looking for flaws in her work maybe you'd learn to appreciate it. And my knowledge is not for you to judge, and if you knew english you'd probably know that freak and freakish are two different things.. also you obviously cannot appreciate art, it is meant to be provocative and intriguing... are you telling me you approved of Ram's behaviour? even the ramayana doesn't approve it. You are a bigot and a self righteous idiot, get a life

[amitexo]

@Freakish108 i have a life but u dragged me back into this shit.im entitled to my opinion just like you and her.but u had to be smarter n ask me to jump over the cliff and shit.haha oh sorry its actually i who thinks ur a freak lol.i certainly think he was unfair to his wife,it wasnt the decision of a husband but of a king.it was a monarchy but a democratic one.if she can portray ram as an a**hole then why is it i cant call NINA PALEY A WHORE WHO WAS DUMPED BY HER HUSBAND,SHE IS DOG UGLY HELLO??

[Freakish108]

@amitexo oh my god.. you have no right to judge her.. and speaking of ram, he couldv'e chosen his wife, his sons.. and since he didn't do that, i can never bring myself to respect him.. and i'm going to end this conversation right now cause i really have better things to do than argue with ignorant bigots.

[amitexo]

@Freakish108 i appreciate u want to end it,its better this way.we are two different souls with different point of view and i admire differences(rg veda says vikruti evam prakriti-what seems unnatural is also natural)i seem unnatural to u n u unnatural to me,so wat?none of us gonna die becoz of tat.i told u i understand ur view on rama's decision,i just see in in a different light.again my views on nina still differs from urs.i agree to disagree.i cud but wont call u an ignorant bigot though bye

[amitexo]

@Freakish108 OH BTW HER HUSBAND HAD NO PRESSURE TO LEAVE HER,HE MUST HAVE BEEN SO FED UP OF DOING SUCH A DIRTY UGLY ANIMAL!NO SLUM-BROTHEL IN MUMBAI WUD TAKE HER.IF SHE CAN BASE HER JUDGEMENT ON READING A BOOK I CAN JUDGE HER BY WATCHING HER MOVIE AND BIOGRAPHY!!!I IF SHE WASNT BUSY LOOKING FOR FLAWS IN RAM SHE CUD HAVE APPRECIATED THE RAMAYANA AND SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.HER VIEWS WERE BIASED BECOZ SHE WAS REJECTED BY HER HUSBAND.SHE IS DIRT N SCUM UNTIL SHE IS LESS BITTER N START TO B OBJECTIVE

[RigorMortisRabbit]

wow this is the first time i've seen this copyright injustice brought up in conversation, up till now its just sorta been the elephant in the room. n' by the way, awsome movie nina! xD thats quite some unique talent

[amitexo]

NO WONDER UR HUSBAND LEFT U U UGLY PIECE OF SHIT,U R BITTER AND SAD U FUCKING WHORE!!!AND DO NOT TELL ME I CANNOT USE THESE WORDS ,U PREACH FREEDOM OF SPEECH YEAH DOESNT MATTER IF ITS OFFENSIVE OR NOT,SO HERE U GO U FILTHY CUNT OF BITCH!!!UR HUBBY PROBABLY DISCOVERED WHAT A SLUT U R!!!

[Freakish108]

@amitexo Go jump off a cliff you freak! this woman is a genius.

[amitexo]

@Freakish108 u must be completely uneducated and/or stupid for thinkin she is a genuis u clearly havent seen one before!why shud i jump any cliff,im doing what she's doing...saying wat i think is right(n i freakin mean it!)if u think she has the right to talk n i dont u r more stupid than u have already proven to be.

[gauravzerogravity]

I am a hindu and i think their is nothing against hinduism in her movie it was perfect and very nice movie un like muslims we dont have tradition to beheading those who make the cartoon of god,

[TheBabyAnimalChannel]

Nina Paley's greatest creation is controversy. Her 'works of art' are really just slick illustrations, not really art. Sorry for those of you out there who confuse entertainment with art...

[MadelineWoe]

I must "copy" this quote in respect and honor. Please don't arrest me for using another's ideas that reflect PERFECTLY how I feel about the copyright issue when it come to "fan" appreciation:

"Imitation is the sincerest flattery". -Charles Caleb Colton

The Japanese have a thing called Dojinshi which are unauthorized publications and are encouraged by the artists they follow.

I blogged on it, but won't use my respect for this video and your cause to increase my small hit count.

[destroya15463]

I'm going to hang a printed photo of that ugly ho on my trash can to scare the flies away.

[texugonervoso]

Well, if somebody "copy" my creations, I'LL HAVE NO FREEDON TO CREATE. "Thank YOU" NINA PALEY for spreading such a stupidity and get me and all other creators out of business. Better I think of making a living with "copying" too.

[walterboef]

Miss Paley . it is a first contact and I am surprised to see an artist who is so sponteous and superqualified . I admire your work and the way you are fighting the laws of intellectual property! If this laws would have existed before the curve of GAUSS should be NOW intellectual property!! We support you and need your creative help !Open source means FREEDOM

. Your are a GREAT artist ! We european people need your support ! We will defend your bright ideas

Walter boef

[sarinmadhur]

The animation is very good in the movie... I must give credit to ppl behind it ...but there is nothing of Ramayana in this movie except for the characters and well the story line too...I must say ...Nina has failed to understand the true meaning of the text ...as well as failed to capture ...it right . for that one must get tuned spiritually ....and staying in Trivandrum or for that matter any part of India for any length of time wont bring it .

[TwoUselessLegs]

LOL  Sir Lawrence Oliver was once asked "why do artists DO what they do"? The reporter asking the question had imagined some lofty spiritual answer, something at the core of the cosmos. Instead, Larry stretched out his arms in classic Shakespearian form and said "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME"! That was it. That was all. Poor Nina thinks she's doing something different!

[Patacorow]

She should be proud of herself, still releasing her movie to the public whilst the restrictions

[xXx0Sanctuary0xXx]

I believe in freedom of speech but when you deliberately create art which is intended to test and reinforce that very idea, thats what I do not agree with. You deliberatly perverted The Ramayana, do you know that this is history taught to millions of children across India and other parts of the world? Wow well done for perverting it!

Dont take your anger out on us Hindus just because your husband left you in India LOL!

[xXx0Sanctuary0xXx]

Are you a chritian nina?

How would you like it if I made a movie about Mary having sex with God (or whoever impregnanted her lol) and showed every single detail of that scene.

So much for "virgin mary"

[headlose]

@xXx0Sanctuary0xXx I would definitely watch it!

[Nu5by5]

Copyright was supposed to be a LIMITED monopoly, TEMPORARILY granted to a publisher, for the express purpose of EXPANDING the public's access to artistic works & scientific advancement. Now it's being intentionally misused by the mega-corp's to silence artists, & then keep profiting off of their work in perpetuity - never letting anything into the public domain. It's a bit like encouraging salmon to swim upstream and spawn, then blocking their access to the sea. Eventually, all the fish will DIE

[axdx8085]

I am from India by the way :)

[Ooga001]

@axdx8085 but I bet you're a pariah.. only non-Hindu scum will "like" what this whore has done; simply denigrate the sentiments of more than a BILLION Hindus around the world.

On that note you mleccha, fetch my shoes.

[axdx8085]

@Ooga001 Well I am a "Hindu" in fact I am so called "Swarna Hindu".

[axdx8085]

@Ooga001 I hope you receive the light of knowledge and freedom

[Ooga001]

@axdx8085 bet you voted for sonia gandu congress? lol..

[axdx8085]

I think it was a good attempt to understand Ramayana and I liked it.

[summergiles]

I love you Nina! I love your mind and I love your work!

[Ooga001]

nina paley is a filthy untouchable slut... end of story.. she was tossed out by her husband in India.. lolol..

[summergiles]

@Ooga001 I feel sorry for you.

[Nu5by5]

@Ooga001 - Classic. When you cannot defeat a woman with any facts, or in any honorable manner, call her a slut. Way to go. You're a ridiculous cliche'.

[Ooga001]

@Nu5by5 How classic indeed! The FACT is that she was dumped, thrown aside as if she was a used plastic bag, by her husband through an email. Pathetic to say the least.

Honor is for use with humans, not with untouchables like christians/muslims/jews/commun­ists and other non-Hindu scum. After all, that is what Gandhi tried with you mleccha filth and look what happened; India was robbed of its land and now the epicenter of terrorism (pakistan) is our neighbor. Honor is for the honorable only!

[rahulyorkuk]

you like a super bitch i wanna fuck you..... why dont you make your own porn movie ... you bitch

[tahhana86]

Sita is an amazing film, it blew me away. Nina Paley, you are a genius!

[hanros98]

yeah well done dumb white ***

[kyawhitesapphire]

I have mixed feelings: sharing is good, but then you get someone like Todd Goldman founding David and Goliath and making literally millions of dollars off of plagarised work. One artist brought up a lawsuit and settled out of court, but other artists never saw a dime. That seems a bit unfair. Similarly artists on the internet have lost money when others download their images and sell low quality prints as if they are the artist. When it takes money out of friends' pockets, I cannot condone.

[luvmyrecords]

I see your point, and it is well-taken, but what of all the artists in the 1920';s who were paid a flat $50 a side, and then the record companies made thousands of dollars on those same records? That's why royalties were introduced in the first place. If you decide that everyone can just use anything, whether or not the creator of a given work gives his or her blessing, then the creators no longer can profit from their work.

[earvady]

nina paley ,

i understand your art in this crap ...........i also understand your cruel christian agenda of defaming the 5000 year old scripture called ramayana ..........but u don't understand it's value even your so called bible is a copy of it .a mix of versus of ramayana and other sacred hindu scriptures ....

[82abhilash]

Nina Paley, when you make a cartoon of Sahih al-Bukhari, I would say that the terrorists have lost. As if Hindu terrorism is the most significant threat facing the free world. But you are a coward. You will only pick soft and easy targets.

[DCWren247]

The point of copyright is to make sure an author can publish his/her work and get credit for it, and get paid for it. If they want to distrisbute copies without restriction and not buy a copyright, fine. If they want others to know what they wrote and get paid every time someone appreciates it enough to make a copy, then that should be fine too.

[cyborglilith]

Fantastic way to heal an open heart. We are seeing it! We get it! Congratulations Nina! You have my support, my donation, and my admiration.

[iVerballyRapedYou]

You're ugly, you're stupid, please just kill yourself...

[tavish80]

what terrorists.???? indians are frekin peaceful self absorbed fun loving people...we dont need ur expertise ..what u did is the easiest thing to do..for popularity. have u not had enough with islam that u need hindu haters too?

[yudhistirs]

its as good as saying I copy my name over your name on your bank account and say I am not stealing your money , CREATIVITY EXISTS , if you dont have it then stop stealing and blaming others when they fight for their rights , its good she had to pay $50,000 for stealing music for her work Sita Sings the Blues , I wish she should have paid the complete $220,000

[yudhistirs]

If lets say you write a suspense novel and copyright it under your name , I happen to read it and I get it published under my name , like you say Copying is not theft , I just copied each and every page of your novel and gave it my name , aint I committing a crime ? wouldnt you sue me for doing something like this ? or would you again publish the same book with yourname ? dont you have any sense of logic , copying IS THEFT

[yudhistirs]

Meaning of Copyright : Copyright is the set of exclusive rights granted to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work.

[vandorenw]

Must be nice not having to worry about making a living... YOU might be happy with just receiving attention for being so "forward thinking", but other writers, musicians, and artists would prefer to make a living doing what they love.

[nkant18]

fuck this bitch....

[sagaofbluewing]

I think the people who create an original work have the say so over how their work is used or is not used. "Stealing" is when you take or use something that is not your's without permission. Copyright does exist to protect creators, otherwise these "conglomerations" would steal original works from people, mass produce them, make money and share none of it with the creator.

[questioncopyright]

@sagaofbluewing We disagree. We advocate a different point of view (one that has been the norm for most of human history): that you get to do what you want with your copies, and other people get to do what they want with their copies. Just because I wrote a book, should I have the right to decide whether someone else can or cannot translate it, for example? If I want it kept private, and never re-used or remixed, then I shouldn't publish it.

[sagaofbluewing]

@questioncopyright , that's BS. Yes, you should. I don't believe in extremist views. It's great that you wish to share your work, but then again it's only a self-serving gesture to justify your own taking of other people's work. For you not to allow others to take your work would seem hypocritical. I believe in fair use, but what you did was not fair use. There are other people who infringe on copyrights on a daily basis whose goals are not artistic, but rather to exploit someone else's efforts

[Dirge987]

@questioncopyright I disagree. The things we create we own; that is a human right. Distribution can cause success or sabotage, and the creator of that work is affected by that benefit or harm, not the person who copies it. The creator therefore should get to decide how their work is distributed because their livelihood hinges on the result. If distribution of the creator's property is done without their voluntary consent, then someone else is violating their human rights by the use of force.

[m7steel]

@sagaofbluewing

Copyrights do not protect the 'little guy.' If anything they facilitate the ability of 'mass conglomerates' to make even more money off of little guys. They buy copyright rights to material and then just hold onto it. No one can use the 'idea' without paying for their 'permission.' I mean, is Nina the 'mass conglomerate' here, or the 'little guy.'

[sagaofbluewing]

@m7steel Not true. Copyright law is set up to prevent what you're talking about. This can be and IS done with trademarks, but that's a completely different beast. You cannot copyright an idea. You can only copyright a published work which must be accessible to the general public in some form. They do not "protect" you, they give you the right to prosecute someone if they steal from you. Killing is illegal but it can't "protect" you from being killed.

[jestingfool]

I am a 24 ear old theater technician / artist. Had you never created and made this free I would have never learned this story. To those nationalist, I have learned and further developed understanding of your culture

THANK YOU

[gmdinformation]

I've had similar problems (or lets say I "foresaw" them) with my documentary on George MacDonald--a decidedly non-fundamentalist Christian writer from the 19th century who was a big influence on CS Lewis, GK Chesterton etc. Nearly all sources for Christian film festivals are run by fundamentalists who I'm fairly sure would never run the film. Traditional festivals turn up their liberal noses at anything faintly religious. It seemed the only wise thing to do was distribute it on the net for free.

[ghfloorman]

Love the movie. Comparing professional songwriters to militant religious/nationalist fundamentalists is a bit ridiculous, as is saying respecting copyright is to "teach kids to be afraid of music". But I understand.

Sita is wonderful!

[ishtiaqb]

well done. great piece of art. it takes courage to do what you have done. i am waiting for your next project..........;-)

[nkr9241]

My boyfriend is an indian and we BOTH love this. The Ramayana done beautifully!!! The Hindu Zealots have done more to ruin Hinduism than any peice of art. The Caste system and the treatment of women has done its share to ruin India...not art.

We love ya!!!

[loudislandtv]

We are with you on what you're fighting for! And your film is just great!!!

Friends from Sri lanka.

(Ravana's People)

[sillymesilly]

LOL Nina instigated the demons from Sri Lanka haha!

[Jkfilms7]

Power to you, your film is completely innocent, and deserves more respect.

[beethovenqueen]

To qualify for an Academy Award you need a top prize at a high ranking film festival. The week-long commercial run is only for Americans and an "extra" way of getting your film qualified to be considered for the Oscar nomination.

[possum2u]

merry Christmas Nina

someday I'll write you a long letter to tell you what you've done for me

you are a GREAT artist

[SurfTiger22]

Loved it and will play it to my 3rd grade class who are learning about Diwali.

[mannequin189]

Truly inspiring. I come back to watch it over and over again. The music is haunting and the animation is among the best I've seen!

I think you are very brave for going forward with it. It touched my life in a special way I can't quite explain

Beautiful work :)

[angelialvares]

Dear Nina, your film is not just a work of art.

It is a MASTERPIECE! CHEF D'OEUVRE as they say in France. I've seen it thrice and will see it many more times. May the the Creator of the Universe protect you, so as to manifest Creation through you.

[zombiebunny0]

I never comment on YouTube and this comment probably won't reach the artist herself, but I feel compelled. As an artist myself, I saw your film for the first time today and it was literally life-changing. It was really eye-opening, not just the film itself, but also learning about your struggles with it. Pretty much all I can say is: Thank you.

[williamstacy81]

Dear Nina,

I just saw the movie, and it was awesome. Unlike me, not all Hindus would like to accept the facts. I wish to see the movie again :)

Wish you all the best !

[alpache1903]

good

[prafs81]

Shame on u old lady.

[vanishaa05]

U clearly have no idea about rwot ramayana is all about!!!

[peepalator]

yeeeeessss

[shaniwrites]

I'm a Hindu Female, and I remember a lot of the same thoughts going through my head when I first learned of Ramayana. Why didn't Sita go with Hanuman? Why didn't Ram step down from being King so he could be with his wife while one of his brothers took over Ayodhaya?...?...? I admire Nina Paley's interpretation, it's bold, anyone who disagrees is a most likely a chauvinist, using copy right issues to stop her from shining some light on Ramayana.

[misatchi]

@shaniwrites THANK YOU! I'm tired of people who are Hindu getting offended by this! This coming from a hindu/buddhist practitioner in the western world, which seems to be a hard concept for some "hindu's" to believe exist. Nina used the story to connect with her real life and honestly, what more could those of us who practice the ideals ask for? I myself, as an artist know how frightening it is to speak your mind through art and I give her MAJOR props for going for it.

[bandparty90]

@shaniwrites You people can not think beyond hedonism even when religion and religeous sentiments are concerned. That is why your thoughts are so much naked.

[bandparty90]

@shaniwrites You people can not think beyond hedonism even when religion and religeous sentiments are concerned. That is why your thoughts are so much naked. This is a road that many so called creative people have followed to spill out the wickedness stored in their minds into the society instead of buring that. Who would have knows this filmmaker has she not tried this work.

[achilles786]

@shaniwrites first of all- ramayana took place thousands of years ago and the culture then was so conservative. It took so many years for us to progress to such a rational thinking and more open social practices. Nina Paley can talk about freedom of art and expression all she wants, but in fact she is bold only to sell her own ideas profiting herself which might contribute to art perse but hurt the people of faith. In the end everybody gets sth to talk - herself and rightwing fundamentalists

[Madman2759]

As far as the songs go, yes, the copyright has ended on Annette Hanshaw's recordings, but they have not ended on the sheet music. So it's the writers of the songs that are demanding royalties. While copyrights are there to allow artists to profit from their work for a set period of time, the punitive aspects of copyright, as they stand today, are absurd, especially in this case, which, in a way, is an homage to these songs.

[woodzeeuk]

So the fundamentalists who want to stop the film and hang her are just Annette Hanshaw fans? Bizarre. I thought so many years after the death of an artist copyright ended. As long as the singer is named what's the problem. Songs are covered and used in films all the time.

[woodzeeuk]

I'm not sure what their issue is. Do they believe it's a mis-representation of a holy scripture or are they just annoyed that a foreigner is making money from it? Personally I thought it went overboard on the blood. However, I recognised the songs and now know who the artist is and am intrigued to delve deeper into this tale. Which surely is a good thing if others also gain an interest via Nina's work?

[kannantu]

The issue is over music - not Ramayana.

[paleobc65]

no actually some hindus say its racsist (not me)

[Galadraal]

Yeah the main issue is that some Nationalists believe it's racist... but also are tying in anti-western sentiments using religion as a catalyst. I'm a Hindu... this woman is tying her personal experience with the personal experience of Sita and really reflecting on the feelings and ideas presented in this treasured Epic. She's done her background, and I honestly think that if more people took the time to connect with ancient legends and tales more like this we'd see we have more in common.

[possum2u]

the Ramayana should be public domain after 5000 years and Nina has every right a person on this earth to to read it and tell us what she learned as expressed in an animated film .She also has a right to tell us about her broken heart as filtered through through this myth,if she or the rest of don't have this right then WTF good are scriptures anyway?Definition of scriptures_ fragments of writings so old no one knows what the hell they mean> Nina Rocks ! Copyright lawyers suck!

[americanbornguy]

Every incident of Ramayana teaches us about sacrifices, respect and self discipline. She has portrayed nothing among them...Either she is not getting ramayana...or she is just trying make fun of it.

[ReligionNeinDanke]

YOU did not understand the Ramayana, its hard to understand, if you live in it. If you could watch from the outside, you would laught about it too.

[carebear72884]

The copyright issue isn't with the Ramayana. It is with the music used, the blues songs have the copyrights.

[ChilapaOfTheAmazons]

I watched the movie, it's really great!

Thanks for sharing it with us, I donated $ 25.

[WINKYINTHELAND]

you hurt the feelings of 1 billion people and you think it is cool and it is your freedom then you definitely have a sick mind.

[FluffTheArtist]

Hater.

[TotallyItalian1]

Nina Paley to thine own self be true. You created a masterpiece of art...well done.

I have to admit that learning that Annette Hanshaw was the featured singer drew me to view "Sita Sings the Blues." I have been a fan of Annette Hanshaw since the 1940s because my parents had her 78 records which I played on our windup Victrola; namely "If I Had a Talking Picture of You", "I'm Following You", I'm A Dreamer Arn't We All" and "Happy Days Are Here Again". Thank you for sharing your talent.

[jaguarnoelle]

It's beautiful. Thank you.

[mistry47]

I absolutely love the film and i have a Hindu aswell, the story is still there why is it people have problems its her view she obviously had to read the ramayan to actually do it and i think its great so does my gran and she is a hardcore hindu, she was laughing all the way.

[VaijayantiUSA]

There's nothing bad about an artist freely expressing himself, but he has to be qualified to do this. To interpret such scriptures as Ramayana, one needs spiritual qualification. Otherwise, what's the point of taking such scriptures as the material to work with? Better to take some mundane book that would allow a spiritually unqualified artist to interpret his materialistic views. SSB turned out to be funny, entertaining, but tasteless, lacking depth or any spiritual value.

[womanintheworld]

Hmm... I think Hanshaw addressed your kind of thinking in this interview...

[vandama0mossadegh]

Or, more succinctly, you don't like how she interpreted the Ramayana and want to shut her up.

But don't want to say so out loud.

[VaijayantiUSA]

No. This woman obviously has talent. She just doesn't understand the scripture. If she did that with true understanding, that would be great.

[FluffTheArtist]

Perhaps you should e-mail her. I'm sure she meant no offense, and she seems rather down to earth. Maybe, if you contact her, you can share your thoughts. Should she make any future films about the Hindu stories, she'll take your opinion into consideration. Worth a try.

[paul6316]

You don't have to be a pandit to read a religious text as literature and see the parallels between the main character's story and your own.

[VaijayantiUSA]

So, you suppose Lord Ram abandoned Sita for the same reasons as the guy left his wife, right? :)

[jaguarnoelle]

It's art. What difference does it make how Paley or anyone interprets these things?

"Spiritual" literature affects many people in different ways, it's not owned by the "spiritual" folks.

This is her personal experiences, her personal art, her business. If she wants to seek the opinion of someone who believes their more qualified to have one she can.

[VaijayantiUSA]

Ramayana is a scripture dealing with the most important issues of the soul. As such, it belongs to all living beings, not only to believers. Such issues, however, are of a higher order, than the ones of the artist's aesthetic. That's why it takes quite a bit of qualification & responsibility on the interpreter's part. Otherwise, scriptural misinterpretations can create inauspiciousness for both, the artist & the audience.

[1om8cat]

@ VaijanyantiUSA : I think you should lighten up. Yes, the Ramayana is a brilliant parable of the souls trials and spiritual journey, but the content of the parable itself was created by an ancient culture with outdated social mores. The misogynist and racist content make it very vulnerable to criticism in the modern world. Given that these ignorant attitudes are still given credence in many backward regions (and minds), it is perfectly justified to draw attention to this.

[1om8cat]

@ VaijanyantiUSA : I happen to understand the symbolism of the Ramayana quite well, and I find nothing wrong with this brilliant piece of art. Its a tragic problem when outdated spiritual analogies morph into religious and social dogma. Furthermore, I find it rather presumptuous of you to accuse anyone of lacking spiritual qualification.

[sillymesilly]

hurrah VaijayantiUSA u r indeed an enlighted person. Who ever gave u thumbs down have never read Sanskrit version of Ramayana or TV shows and movies done by ardent followers of Ram who do their homework.

[preservationhall01]

All of Annette Hanshaw's music is Public Domain. What material are you having rights issues problems with?

[RSVPBlogger]

This is not entirely true. As I understand it the rights were extended on the duplication of Hanshaw's music. This means that the film print cannot be duplicated without paying licence fees, which means it can't be put into theatres (you need cinema prints, obviously).

Believe it or not the song "Happy Birthday" has a similar restriction.

Anyway since then Paley has hammered out a compromise solution. (Sort of).

[URSABURSURKA]

Well put, Ms. Paley, very well put. Thank you!