gypsy caravan

i just saw this preview for a musical documentary called gypsy caravan that tells the story of several international Roma musicians, following their musicial careers combined with glimpses into the personal lives in macedonia, romania, india, etc...



i've always been a fan of gypsy music--my dad listens to a lot of it. its unbelievably lively and requires a lot of energy and talent. the roma are a very mystical and interesting people. their presence is significant all over europe, particularly in the east. i was at a flea market in vienna that was like a roma camp, full of children and old women pandering what seemed to be stolen goods. in prague, i often saw young roma boys with their fathers getting bad looks from old women on the tram. its a strange concept that in the west, their culture is often mystified, yet in reality they live in poverty on the outskirts of society in their respective countries.

this is a picture i took of musicians performing on the s-bahn in berlin.


the film opens this friday at the angelika film center.