Gypsy Caravan – When the Road Bends evokes the US tour of Roma musicians whose astonishing diversity ranges from the Indian group with their bejewelled drag dancer to oompah-based Romanians.
Gypsy Caravan (2006)
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Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:42
Rotten:7
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: A dynamic doc following five Romani bands is a pleasure for the senses thanks to vibrant colors and eclectic music.
Theatrical Release:28-09-2007
Synopsis: An audience favorite at film festivals worldwide, GYPSY CARAVAN is a gorgeous surround-sound celebration of misery and oppression turned into music. GYPSY CARAVAN is a dazzling display of the... An audience favorite at film festivals worldwide, GYPSY CARAVAN is a gorgeous surround-sound celebration of misery and oppression turned into music. GYPSY CARAVAN is a dazzling display of the musical world of the Roma, juxtaposed to the real world they live in. This rich feature documentary celebrates the luscious music of top international Gypsy performers and interweaves stirring real life tales of their home life and social background. Shot by documentary icon Albert Maysles, the film takes place on tour in Europe and in the USA during the Gypsy Caravan concert tour, as well as on location in Spain, Macedonia, Romania and India. --© Shadow Distribution [More]
Studio: Shadow Distribution
Reviews for Gypsy Caravan
So long seen as ragged leftovers from an older historical epoch, the Roma turn out to be a modern people who have a lot to teach over-developed societies about what it means to be human.
These extraordinary musicians ought to put an end to any sniffiness about Gypsy music.
Blessed with a wealth of characters, moving stories and roof-raising performances, Gypsy Caravan is as rich as the music it promotes. Fans of Buena Vista should definitely join the club.
It’s a slow, sometimes grating process for an hour or so, but once everyone wises up to their shared heritage, a euphoric celebration of what it means to be a gypsy takes flight.
The poverty contrasts sharply with the excitement of the tour bus and cuts to the heart of the songs themselves, famed for their "joy and sorrow".
This chronicle of a Gypsy-music package tour is a powerful rejoinder to rock-doc navel-gazing. Stunning performance excerpts, ranging from Spanish flamenco to Indian raga, demonstrate that keening brass choirs are just one aspect of the Gypsy sound.
For its glimpses of various lifestyles and personalities -- an ancient but spry fiddler, a young male who performs in drag -- it isn't bad.
The energy is electric, the camerawork crisp and colourful, the editing note-perfect. . . . for the Roma, music sounds the notes of a harsh, maligned cultural history, making them all the more unforgettable while demanding remembrance, even awe.
The characters are as lively as their music and I enjoyed riding along with them.
While the backstage tour footage is sometimes repetitive, it's delightful to see the musicians take up each other's songs as the tour progresses.
The emphasis remains on the personal stories of the players themselves who, for all their backstage squabbling, identify more with each other than any of the countries in which they've settled.
[Dellal's] attempts to 'straighten' the narrative through exposition disguised as the walkie-talkie messages of an unseen stage manager, however, are distractingly ham-handed.
If music were all, Gypsy Caravan would be amazing. As is, it's worth seeing, but you may get frustrated at the way Dellal raises provocative questions about ancestry and prejudice...
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