This documentary film of Emmett MALLOY, an experienced music video director, is set in a romantic, cheerful train running thousands of miles from San Francisco to New Orleans. More specifically, the film follows the journey of three bands ― ‘Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero’, ‘Old Crow Medicine Show’, and ‘Mumford & Sons’ ― on several tours in six cities in western America. Their music continues to be played alternately both in the train and in concert halls. Their passionate and cheerful lives make the audience go wild with excitement. The director wonderfully mixes the unique music of the three indie bands into the background shots of the old train and the western land’s desolate landscape. The vast, barren scenery of the area reminds us of the images from Out Of Rosenheim or Paris, Texas. The film is a documentary, but it also seems like a fable or a fairytale story, taking place in western America. The film’s overall flow, that could have been distracting and uneven, is weaved seamlessly and skillfully. Combining the form of a road movie and a concert film, Big Easy Express seems to say that documentary films do not have to awaken serious social consciousness, disclose hidden truth or make certain assertions; it just shows how pleasant and precious a life of singing and performing on the street can be. Director MALLOY names this documentary “a dream journey” and says that he has put more effort into this film than in any other work in his filmography. This documentary was screened in the 2012 Nashville Film Festival, Maui Film Festival and AFI/Silverdocs and played as both a opening and closing movie. As a music documentary, it was also well received at several music and film festivals including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival. (KIM Yoona)