BOISE, Idaho — How far would you go to chase your dreams? That's one of the themes tackled in one of Filmfort's headlining documentaries this year.
The film focuses on two cousins from Eswatini in southern Africa, Dusty & Stones. The two created a country music duo and during the film, they get invited to the Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards in Jefferson, Texas. The movie follows their journey from their home in Eswatini to Texas as they realize their dream of performing in the heart of Country Music.
Along with their film being in Filmfort's lineup, they also performed multiple sets during the Treefort Music Festival in Boise this week.
But how do two men a world away from the birthplace of country music, become artists in that genre?
"It's the stories man," Said Dusty. "The songs tell a story and as we listen to these songs we found we can relate to what they’re talking about."
Dusty & Stones say they fell in love with country music because of songs like Tennessee Mountain Home by Dolly Parton. They say even though they're not in Tennessee, they know what life in the mountains is like. In fact, they share life similarities with a lot of different common themes of country music.
“In country music, there is a lot about trucks and farms which is something quite similar to what we have back home," Said Stones. "So we kind of related more to country music than maybe other genres.”
Throughout the movie, you get to experience the friendship of Dusty & Stones. That friendship was strengthened by loss. Both of them lost parents in their life, which made them become closer to their common grandparents. They write about how their grandparents met in one of their songs called The River.
“The main song that’s featured that you hear many many times is the River," Said Jesse Rudoy, the film's director. "Which is really the song of the Dusty & Stones family starting. It’s the story of their grandparents meeting on a river bank."
Dusty describes his grandparent's relationship with the metaphor of a river.
“Just like the river itself flows endlessly, it’s like their love that is still up until their time of death," Dusty says.
The movie also brings up issues of Racism and Xenophobia which can be seen through some of the things the group faces as they get to the US. Gun violence is another topic discussed in the film.
Rudoy says he thinks it is important that American audiences can see these themes through the lens of foreigners who had expectations of the country they heard so much about.
“The highs are highs and the lows are so low and disappointing," said Rudoy. "I’m hoping that’s a powerful thing for an American audience to experience and think about.”
You can find the group's music on their page on Bandcamp.com.
The film is showing one final time, Sunday at Noon at Boise Center East, Room 430. For more information on Filmfort and Treefort schedules, visit their website here.
