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The odyssey of "Genghis Blues" | page 1, 2, 3, 4
He began his calls by reintroducing himself and saying, "This is the situation ..." One New York society woman -- he can't remember how he came by her phone number, the string of connections was so improbable -- told him that it was much easier to raise $10,000 that $10. To his disbelief, he found her words to be true. Some very unexpected "friends," people they hardly knew but who were enthusiastic about the film, appeared just in time. Following that baptism by fire, Sundance smiled on them. When they were unable to find a place to stay in expensive Park City, another benefactor offered them a condo with fireplaces and Jacuzzis. Then, when festival officials slotted Paul and Kongar-ol for a mere 20-minute concert the day before the film's screening, Adrian found a local priest who was willing to open his chapel. They packed in more than 100 people for each of three concerts. Part of the successful buzz they experienced was due to the smart-looking glossy posters and postcards they put up around town. The materials, well beyond their budget, had been eked out through many late nights spent endearing themselves to copy store staffs in San Francisco. Now, Hollywood types asked them in all sincerity who was doing their press. "I blurted out about how my mom and friends all over the country had pitched in," Adrian recalls, amused at his own naivete. "Later, someone took me aside and counseled that in the future I should say, 'Our people are doing great work.'" The entire week was the first sweet whiff of success. Now, with the Oscars fast approaching and "Buena Vista Social Club" being hailed as a shoo-in, Adrian and Roko and "their people" are hard at it again. "We had to fight for days to get the Academy's mailing list," Adrian says, "even though every major studio has a copy of it." They've stayed up late every night since returning from Mongolia, addressing postcards and making phone calls. "In a joyous way," he continues, speaking to anyone who still wonders why they're putting so much into what seems like a David and Goliath battle, "we feel a responsibility to see how far this film can go." Partly, it's about being true to themselves and the same level of energy that drives their travels. It's also for Paul, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just after celebrating his 49th birthday at Sundance last year. The entire experience of "Genghis Blues," from the close bond he's made with Kongar-ol, to the acceptance he felt by the Tuvan people, has been a complete and unanticipated pleasure for him. "Paul keeps telling me that this has been the best time in his life," says Roko. "It's really nice to be part of that." On Sunday, he'll have another opportunity he could never have imagined: a trip to the Oscars along with Roko, Adrian and their mother. It will be a surreal moment for the brothers as well, sitting under the flashing lights, surrounded by a sea of tuxedos -- half a world away from the sea of stars they slept under just weeks ago, as they nestled into down bags in the midst of the Gobi.
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