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Director Jasmine Dellal |
| Gypsy Caravan I. SYNOPSIS “You cannot walk straight when the road bends...” - Romani proverb Shot by legendary cinematographer Albert Maysles, this dynamic musical documentary follows five Gypsy bands from four countries who unite for the Gypsy Caravan as they take their show around North America for a six-week tour, and astound every audience they meet. Their musical styles range from flamenco to brass band, Romanian violin to Indian folk. And with humor and soul in their voices, they create and explosion of song and dance that celebrates the best in Gypsy culture and the diversity of the Romani people. As the film follows the amazing performances and behind-the-scenes action from the tour, we discover the real lives of these musicians. At home in Romania, Macedonia, India and Spain, we meet their families and see what music brings to their lives. Their life stories are woven between the performances - allowing us to understand and celebrate Romani culture and the prejudice of their shared ancestry. The "Gypsy Caravan" tour extravaganza features performances by Macedonian diva and "Queen of the Gypsies" ESMA REDZEPOVA, traditional Indian folk troupe MAHARAJA, the ANTONIO EL PIPA FLAMENCO ENSEMBLE from Spain and two Romanian groups who are the energetic brass band FANFARE CIOCARLIA, and the violin wizards of TARAF DE HAIDOUKS. Johnny Depp even appears in the film to praise the beauty of Gypsy music and his Romani friends whose culture is interminably misunderstood, oppressed and stigmatized. From dance floor zest to graveside mourning, this film is a celebration that will leave your toes tapping, your heart pumping and your soul uplifted by a glorious journey that is the Gypsy Caravan. II. Director Bio Jasmine Dellal grew up in England and spent much of her childhood with grandparents in a south Indian village. After studying French & Spanish at Oxford University, she made short films for her Masters at U.C. Berkeley and won a student Emmy for a profile of a homeless photographer. Dellal's teacher and mentor in California was the acclaimed Marlon Riggs, with whom she worked on his final feature "Black Is...Black Ain't." In the early 1990s, Dellal stumbled on a book about "Gypsies" which ended up launching her on a decade of Romani filmmaking. She directed, produced, wrote & edited her first feature documentary, "AMERICAN GYPSY: a stranger in everybody's land" and then founded Little Dust Productions to make artistic films with a social conscience. Now based in New York, she teaches occasional classes in the USA and Europe, and enjoys guiding new directors to create their own films. III. Film Country - USA, Netherlands, & UK Countries featured in film - US, Canada, India Macedonia Romania Spain Year - 2006 Duration - 111 minutes Script-writer - Jasmine Dellal Distributie - US: Shadow Distribution, Intl Sales: Fortissimo Films Casa de Productie - Little Dust Productions, LLC |
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