Writer, composer, and inveterate bohemian Paul Bowles (1910-1999) was one of the 20th century's most important artists. Best known for his seminal novel THE SHELTERING SKY, Bowles left the U.S. in the 1940s for a reclusive existence in Tangier, Morocco, where he fully immersed himself in the rich traditions of North African culture. His literary friendships included some of the best writers of his generation--Gertrude Stein, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal--and his mentorship to Beat writers Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg is the stuff of legend. This definitive film biography captures the reclusive Bowles at home in Tangier shortly before his death, musing on his work and controversial private life--including his tumultuous marriage to writer Jane Bowles--with remarkable insight and candor. Director Jennifer Baichwal weaves Bowles' musings with archival footage, interviews and commentary from Ginsberg and Burroughs, literary criticism from both supporters and detractors, and breathtaking vistas of the desert landscapes of Morocco, creating a compelling portrait of an enigmatic iconoclast.

• Hot Docs: Canadian International Documentary Festival 1999 (Toronto, Canada)
• Newport International Film Festival 1999 (Newport, United States)
• Toronto International Film Festival 1998 (Toronto, Canada)