Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red in It

A wandering guitarist strums down his rivals—and the scorn of his own father—in this riveting musical/ethnography/narrative hybrid, which sets a sly tribute to Prince’s Purple Rain amidst the Tuareg music scene of Saharan Niger. Astride a purple motorcycle, a mysterious purple-clad guitarist (Mdou Moctar, a well-known musician) rides into the desert town of Agadez looking for fame, love, and respect. Anchoring the loosely flowing narrative with some truly mesmerizing musical performances, director Kirkley (who founded the Sahel Sounds record label and collaborated with Moctar on the script) showcases an electrified, electrifying Saharan cultural scene.