Tony Gatlif's film "Gadjo Dilo" makes its Ithaca premiere Dec. 3 in Willard Straight Theatre.
Cornell Cinema is presenting the Ithaca premiere of "Gadjo Dilo," the latest film based in Gypsy culture from Tony Gatlif, the director of "Latcho Drom." "Gadjo Dilo" will be shown tonight through Saturday, Dec. 3-5, with all screenings at 7:30 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre.
"Gadjo Dilo" is the Gypsy phrase for crazy stranger. In the film, the stranger is Stephane, a sophisticated Parisian musicologist who wanders the Romanian countryside in search of a legendary singer whose haunting vocals fascinated his father. He is adopted by a group of Gypsies into a community where harshness and tenderness coexist with music and madness.
Romanian-born actress Rona Hartner gives a remarkable performance as the scholar's Gypsy love interest, a young woman who has left her husband and exists on the fringes of the community. Her impassioned acting, dancing and singing in the film earned her recognition from Variety magazine, which named her one of the 10 top actors to watch.
A reviewer for the Village Voice wrote of the film: "'Gadjo Dilo' strikes a note of insane ethno exuberance and holds it for 90 minutes." The Gypsies in the film, the review continued, "are natural, voracious performers. The various plate-smashing weddings staged in an assortment of unheated taverns are the movie's production numbers -- musicians cavorting on table tops, women break dancing on the floor, guests showering the impassive bride with wads of money."
The San Francisco Chronicle noted: "The film completes Gatlif's trilogy of Gypsy films.The films share a fascination with one of the most persecuted cultures in Europe, backing their dramas with soundtracks of authentic folk music. [Gatlif's films] have been remarkable for opening the world's eyes to a people rarely seen in movies -- and even more rarely as vibrant, striving, creative humanity."
Admission is $4.50/$4 for students, seniors and children 12 and under. For more information call 255-3522 or view the web site http://cinema.cornell.edu.
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