TT
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. J Hailey
Latcho Drom (rom for "safe journey") describes the
travels, singing and dancing of Romany groups from Rajahstan (India),
Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, France, and Spain. Some
scenes are acted, but there is no dialogue or narration--only partial
translation of some songs. The film illustrates the variety of
conditions in which the Romany people live--earthbound nomads in the
hot deserts of Asia, ironsmiths and abjectly poor tree-dwellers in the
frozen plains of Eastern Europe, and craftspeople and traders in the
hills and seasides of north Africa and western Europe. It also
illustrates the similarities in travel habits, musical tones (spoons,
open drums, and string-based rhythms) and song themes (celebration of
travel and perceived rejection by sedentary locals).