The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, in collaboration with the Vermont International Film Festival, presents two great musical documentaries — Little Richard: I Am Everything and Dusty & Stones — as part of MNFF’s 2023 tour of the state. Attendees of both films are invited to a reception in the Main Street Landing Film House Lobby from 5:30 – 7:00 pm.
Dusty & Stones is a continent-crossing hero’s journey story told through country music. The documentary intimately chronicles the remarkable ride of cousins Gazi “Dusty” Simelane and Linda “Stones” Msibi, a determined duo of struggling country singers from the tiny African Kingdom of Eswatini (known as Swaziland at the time of filming) who long for their big break. When they are unexpectedly invited to record their songs in Nashville and to compete in a Texas battle of the bands, Dusty and Stones embark on their long-awaited first pilgrimage to the ancestral heart of country music. Over a momentous ten-day road trip through the American South, Dusty and Stones bring their music to life in a top Nashville recording studio, explore the storied locales of their favorite country songs, and excitedly engage with the culture they’ve long felt part of from afar.
“An often captivating crowd-pleaser that weaves contemporary politics in its backdrop…a character study rife with terrific music and presence.” – The Film Stage
**There will be an in -person Q&A with editor Loulwa Khoury following the screening**