Tony Gatlif

Films in our catalogue

TRANSYLVANIA

Zingarina arrives in Transylvania, in the heart of Romania, looking for the man she loves. She had met him in France, but one day he left without a word of explanation. With her friend Marie, who jealously watches over her, Zingarina throws her body and (...)

Biography

Tony Gatlif's dual ancestry has served as a rich source of inspiration for his work as an artist. Born in 1948 in Algeria to Gypsy parents of Spanish descent, Michel Dahamani (known as Tony Gatlif) was later educated at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Despite taking residence in France, Gatlif returns time and time again to his true origin - the Gypsy community - in a passionate quest for self-examination. From his second feature film, La Terre au Ventre (1978), which references the Algerian war, to Les Princes (1982), an uncompromising description of gypsies who have settled in a soulless suburb, Gatlif‚s early works focused on the unromantic reality of Gypsy life. His later works, including the much acclaimed Latcho Drom (1993) and Gadjo Dilo (1997), are vivid songs of joy celebrating Romany culture with a focus on the vibrant traditional music which breaths life into the Gypsy people.