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| Gypsy (Cigan) |
Sept 17, 2011 – Tonight I had the pleasure of watching Gypsy or Cigan as it is known in Slovak at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Gypsy is a story of a 14 yr old Roma (aka Gypsy) boy named Adam (Jan Mizigar) that is forced into a life of crime by his father-in-law after his own father is mysteriously killed. The story takes place in a poor Roman village in Eastern Slovakia. It was a startling setting to see the conditions in which these people lived – large families shared one room shacks with patched up roofs, with few jobs available people stole anything of value they could get their hands on, teens sniffed glue to escape their lives,… Despite bleak futures ahead, families continued to have more and more children. Interesting to note, most households had satellite dishes (an unusual contrast against a poverty-stricken shack).
I believe all of the actors in the film were non-actors, and were actual local Roma. The lead character Adam gives a good performance, a young teen needing to grow up quickly after his father dies, shows deep devotion to his dear mother leaving school to find a job to help provide for her and his four siblings. Meanwhile, the hatred he has for his uncle / father-in-law intensifies as he forces him into criminal activities causing him to leave home on a number of occasions and bunk overnight at the local gym, a haven of peace and comfort that is maintained by the town’s priest. Anguish intensifies as Adam learns his girlfriend leaves the village for the promise of a better life, agreeing to be married off to a rich Czech in return for a handsome sum paid to her family. Before this movie I never knew much about the Roma (Gypsies). I am intrigued now to learn more about these people and their history. If anyone can recommend a movie or book, please let me know.
Verdict – Solid movie and the village it was cool to see a movie in a location of the world I have never seen
Review | Karen Makedon
The film Cigan by Martin Sulik was done in collaboration with an entire Roma village. Sulik wanted to let the Roma “tell their own story.” In fact the first showing of the film in Slovakia took place outdoors in that very village and the Roma were very proud of the film. I saw the film the next day in Presov (July, 2011). Another great film on the Roma in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia is “Roming” by Jiri Vejdelek, 2008 (the title is a play on the words Roma and roaming). mfk
Thanks so much for the insight. Sounds like you enjoyed the film as well?
I saw the movie at the last screening at TIFF and I liked it as well…it shows Gypsy way of life with it's good and the bad side too…it wasn't romanticized…
there was a Russian made film (in the 80's?) called “Gypsies go to Heaven” and before that (in the 70's?) a Slovak one called “Ruzove sny” (“Rose color dreams”)…
oh…the second one is about a young mail man falling in love with a Gypsy girl…