Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It (Christopher Kirkley, 2015)

Drafthouse Films LogoPrince goes sub-Saharan in this colorful homage to Purple Rain.  Resplendent in a purple robe and matching motorcycle, smoking hot guitarist Mdou Moctar arrives in a music-mad Niger town of Agadez and sets about wooing a local beauty, clashing with his pious father, and fencing with the jealous king of the local scene (Kader Tanoutanoute, as wily and dapper as Morris day) until their climactic six-string duel.  Set among the Tuareg people and reputedly the first feature film in their Tamasheq language (which has no word for “purple”), self-proclaimed “guerrilla ethnomusicologist” and first-time director Christopher Kirkley playfully borrows from rock-u-drama classics like Purple Rain and The Harder They Come to present this universal story of a musician’s struggle and provide a window into the guitar-based musical culture specific to the Sahel region of Africa.

Special Features:

  • Audio commentary with director Christopher Kirkley and producer Jerome Fino
  • New interview with star Mdou Moctar
  • The Making of Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It, featuring behind the scenes footage and performances from the film’s production
  • I Sing the Desert Electric, a 19-minute short film by Kirkley collecting public performances in the Western Sahel
  • A 16-page booklet featuring production photos and a new interview with Kirkley

Saharan Cellphone Edition – Package Includes:

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