I first saw this rollicking good film by Adrian and Roko Belic at the Sheridan Opera House in 1999. It’s the story of a blind bluesman, named Paul Pena, who taught himself to throat-sing, a form of singing popular in Tuva, which is in extreme Southern Siberia. Pena follows an invitation to perform in a throat-singing competition in Tuva by Kongar-ol-Ondar, the Elvis of the country. After the film ended at that showing, my predecessor, Rick Silverman, presented a brilliant surprise: Out came Kongar-ol to perform. It was my first Mountainfilm festival, and I was hooked. We’re not re-creating the surprise element for the tenth anniversary of Genghis Blues, but we are thrilled to have the Elvis of Tuva back in Telluride for live throat-singing after screenings.

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