Dusty & Stones

Dusty & Stones chronicles the remarkable ride of cousins Gazi “Dusty” Simelane and Linda “Stones” Msibi, a struggling country music duo from the tiny African Kingdom of Swaziland who long for their big break.

When they are unexpectedly invited to record 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, the duo bring their music to life in a top recording studio and immerse themselves in the culture they’ve long felt part of from afar.

But the dream journey is abruptly thrown into disarray when the singers arrive in the small town of Jefferson, Texas, where trouble with the local backing band threatens to derail the cousins’ debut American performance. A shell-shocked Dusty and Stones must take the stage and fight to bring home an award for Swaziland.

Premiered at Doc NYC 2022

Dir: Jesse Rudoy

Prod.: Melissa Adeyamo

Editors: Loula Khoury and Jesse Rudoy

Role: Fundraising Editor