Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows

Dusty & Stones

Play trailer Poster for Dusty & Stones Released Oct 10, 2024 1h 24m Documentary Music Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 4 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Dusty & Stones is a continent-crossing hero's journey story told through country music. The documentary intimately chronicles the remarkable ride of cousins Gazi "Dusty" Simelane and Linda "Stones" Msibi, a determined duo of struggling country singers from the tiny African Kingdom of Eswatini (known as Swaziland at the time of filming) who long for their big break. When they are unexpectedly invited to record their songs in Nashville and to compete in a Texas battle of the bands, Dusty and Stones embark on their long-awaited first pilgrimage to the ancestral heart of country music. Over a momentous ten-day road trip through the American South, Dusty and Stones bring their music to life in a top Nashville recording studio, explore the storied locales of their favorite country songs, and excitedly engage with the culture they've long felt part of from afar. But this sense of kinship is abruptly thrown into question when Dusty and Stones arrive in the small town of Jefferson, Texas to compete in the battle of the bands. There, the hostile leader of the local backing band threatens to derail the cousins' debut American performance. As their family and friends back home wait for good news, a shell-shocked Dusty and Stones must take the stage and fight to bring home an award for Swaziland.

Where to Watch

Dusty & Stones

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) They are into the entire culture, which is a thing that I love about this. Nov 4, 2024 Full Review Carmen Paddock MovieJawn Dusty & Stones will make country music fans fall in love with the genre all over again, its beauty, diversity, power, and universal chords and truths laid bare with heart, soul, and beautiful song. Apr 23, 2025 Full Review Wade Major FilmWeek (LAist) [My colleague Tim Cogshell] is fond of saying that in the world there's really only one culture, and boy does this really underline it. Nov 4, 2024 Full Review Ria Dhull Spectrum Culture Dusty & Stones succeeds as a documentary, even as director Jesse Rudoy gets too big for his britches and veers into the hypocritical. Oct 17, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews
Dusty & Stones

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All Cast and Crew

Jesse Rudoy

Director

Melissa O. Adeyemo

Producer

Jesse Rudoy

Producer

Sam Bisbee

Executive Producer

Cody Ryder

Executive Producer

Adam Abada

Cinematographer
View All Dusty & Stones photos

Dusty & Stones

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Dusty & Stones is a continent-crossing hero's journey story told through country music. The documentary intimately chronicles the remarkable ride of cousins Gazi "Dusty" Simelane and Linda "Stones" Msibi, a determined duo of struggling country singers from the tiny African Kingdom of Eswatini (known as Swaziland at the time of filming) who long for their big break. When they are unexpectedly invited to record their songs in Nashville and to compete in a Texas battle of the bands, Dusty and Stones embark on their long-awaited first pilgrimage to the ancestral heart of country music. Over a momentous ten-day road trip through the American South, Dusty and Stones bring their music to life in a top Nashville recording studio, explore the storied locales of their favorite country songs, and excitedly engage with the culture they've long felt part of from afar. But this sense of kinship is abruptly thrown into question when Dusty and Stones arrive in the small town of Jefferson, Texas to compete in the battle of the bands. There, the hostile leader of the local backing band threatens to derail the cousins' debut American performance. As their family and friends back home wait for good news, a shell-shocked Dusty and Stones must take the stage and fight to bring home an award for Swaziland.
Director
Jesse Rudoy
Producer
Melissa O. Adeyemo, Jesse Rudoy
Distributor
First Run Features
Production Co
Ominira Studios, Park Pictures
Genre
Documentary, Music, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 10, 2024, Limited
Runtime
1h 24m
Most Popular at Home Now