Q&As with Nina Paley

Animator Nina Paley follows her 2008 hit Sita Sings the Blues with this wild and imaginative retelling of the Book of Exodus in musical form, starring Moses, Jesus, and Paley’s own father. Also heavily featured is the Great Mother, humankind’s original deity, who is resurrected in a tragic struggle against the forces of Patriarchy. The Burning Bush does a rendition of Louis Armstrong, a Pharaoh sings “I Will Survive,” and an unforgettable circumcision scene is choreographed à la Busby Berkeley. Variety calls it “a mix-tape musical that’s all-singing and all-dancing, with the Ten Plagues alone soundtracked by a roster of artists encompassing 78-rpm blues, hip-hop, punk, 1970s pop rock, Oingo Boingo, and the Beatles.”