With
“Gadjo Dilo” director Tony Gatlif, born of Spanish origin
in Algeria, continues his trilogy of films celebrating the vibrant
Romanian gypsy culture. He brings to the screen the story of Stéphane,
a young Parisian traveller. Following the death of his father, Stéphane
has embarked on an obsessive journey to discover the identity of a
gypsy singer whose voice he carries on a tape recorder. Arriving in
the snow-swept plains of Romania, he is quickly adopted by an elderly
village musician called Izidor. Izidor claims to recognize the voice
of the phantom singer. Stéphane moves in with the old man,
integrating himself into this strange and unfamiliar world. Gradually,
he loses his status of “gadjo dilo” or “the crazy outsider.”
The urgency of Stéphane’s search for the mysterious singer
begins to fade as he falls in love with all gypsy music and also with
Sabina, a free-spirited dancer, who performs publicly with Izidor
at local gatherings and celebrations. When Izidor’s real son
is imprisoned by the Romanian authorities, Stéphane finds himself
living a life very different from the one he left behind. Confronted
with options for his future, Stéphane not only chooses to travel
on a new path but also a completely new way of looking at the world.
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| PHOTO Courtesy
of New Yorker Films |
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