Latcho Drom (1993)

The journey of the Romany people told through musicians and dancers of India, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, France, and Spain.

Director:

Tony Gatlif

Writer:

Tony Gatlif

Star:

La Caita

4 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
La Caita	...	Herself

Storyline

The film takes the viewer on a journey west, from India to Spain, with stops along the way, to dramatize Romany's nomadic culture. This journey takes place over a year's time, from summer through fall and winter to spring. Gatlif holds his camera on the elemental essentials of this life: water, the wheel, fire, beasts of burden and of sustenance, colorful clothes, jewelry, musical instruments, song, and dance. Throughout, via song and dance, young and old celebrate, embody, and teach the cultural values of family, journey, love, separateness, and persecution.

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Plot Keywords:

romany | gypsy culture | gypsy tradition | gypsy dance | gypsy music | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Romany Turkish Slovak Rajasthani Hungarian Arabic Spanish

Release Date:

4 March 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Safe Journey

Filming Locations:

Egypt

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,026,174

Company Credits

Production Co:

K.G. Productions,Canal+,Sofiarp

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Second movie of Tony Gatlif's trilogy on the Gypsy people. It was preceded by Les princes (1983) and followed by Gadjo dilo (1997).

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Connections

Followed by Gadjo dilo (1997)

User Reviews

Nature Knows No Color Line - A Music Video

I stumbled across this on Thanksgiving Day. I was at my mates and his aunty put it on as some Quality Eye Candy from the MTV/BET video s***e that annoys us with talentless himbos and bimbos. Since then every Thanksgiving I watch this (alone, lonely immigrant that I am), beautiful beautiful piece of Music Video Edutainment. I am not going to blag about the narrative of tracing the gypsy roots from India to Spain etc (actually the Kali followers before India were moving from the Indus Valley, and before that, this 'dravidian', 'dalit' folk were leaving old Khemet). But here's my observation, which none of the pseudo liberals who watch it with me see. Watch this movie please for this ONE point. The Gypsy LOOK changes throughout the entire movie. From black/brown 'krishna varna' in India, through Egypt etc to almost white Spain. Now these people are the OUTKASTS where ever they be. Hitler put over a million in camps, Franco, etc hated them as well. In England, I remember how the anglos despised them. So they are hated and moved on everywhere, so how come their skin lightens, and hair textures etc changes as they move from host culture/country to host culture/country? Because there must be some race mixing going on all the time during their 2000 year journey. As J.A. Rogers say's in his book of the same name 'Nature Knows No Color Line' , there is one race the human race and we will always mix/integrate on some level no matter what ever the taboos. A good movie to hire for any 'racial' or 'cultural purists' who need to be challenged.

Peace Zeech