2012 Sundance Predictions: Bill & Turner Ross’ Tchoupitoulas

#67. Tchoupitoulas – Bill & Turner Ross

Bill & Turner Ross’ magical documentary debut 45365 premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2009 and for the better part of the year gained in traction and brought much deserved acclaim to the pair. I’ve read that another project The Muscle’ Rouse has been completed and is looking towards 2012 film fests dates, but my thinking is that Tchoupitoulas, a Cinereach Grant recipient might be a perfect candidate for New Frontier section inclusion.

Gist: Three young brothers take a secret sunset journey across a river to a pleasure island that’s always been forbidden to them. As such, the narrative conceit of Tchoupitoulas is as timeless as a fairy tale. But through the eyes of our juvenile protagonists, we experience an impressionistic immersion into this beguiling kaleidoscope of dancers, musicians, hustlers, drag queens, and revelers that parade through the lamp-lit streets between Rampart and the river. While the kids can only glance at the glittery surface, the camera follows the melodies that emanate from these corridors to admit us to the cabarets, into the dark alleyways, next to the barflies, behind the curtains, and on the bandstand with the people who make this place their audience, their stage, their home.

Producers: Bill & Turner Ross
(IONCINEMA.com Preview Page // IMDB Link)