To all journalists:
The word "Gypsy" is correctly spelled with a CAPITAL "G"
If you choose to use the word "Gypsy," please capitalize this word (and make sure your editors know about it too). Do not write "gypsy" with a small "g" or you may offend many people. Thank you.
Select Reviews
"Gypsy music has been expanding beyond the world-beat sections of music stores and reaching a more mainstream audience... popping up everywhere from major movie soundtracks to indie-rock albums... 'somebody who loves our music and culture will not hit our kids in the back streets'... The movie may do for Gypsy music what Wim Wenders' 1999 film Buena Vista Social Club
did for Cuban music"
- Wall Street Journal Europe link | PDF (second article on music: link | PDF)
"This film is impossible to watch without a toe tapping and a big smile." [4 stars]
- The Times of London link | PDF
"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... a fascinating and often very moving documentary ... hear in every note the unconquerable spirit of freedom and fire and joy."
- The Telegraph, Sukhdev Sandhu link | PDF | slideshow
"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... The movie crackles with passion and optimism." [4 stars]
- Film Four link | PDF
"By turns moving, uplifting and invigorating, Gypsy Caravan is an infectiously lively doc and a toe-tapping celebration of Rom culture in all its diversity."
- BBC film reviews link | PDF
"Intoxicating... Compelling... transcends the music documentary genre"
- LA Times, Kevin Crust link | PDF
"Viewers are urged to grab an aisle seat, the better to dance when the music moves them -
- as it surely will."
- Washington Post, Ann Hornaday link | PDF
"As a music document and as a labor of unabashed love, the nonfiction feature "Gypsy Caravan" could hardly be better..."
- New York Times, Manohla Dargis link | PDF
"deserves to have its brilliant colors, lavish costumes and vivacious musical numbers seen on the big screen."
- Village Voice, Jim Ridley link | PDF
"I was thrilled and transported by it... I'm only sorry it isn't two or three times as long."
- Salon.com, Andrew O'Hehir link | PDF
"a powerful rejoinder to rock-doc navel-gazing. Stunning performance excerpts... the richness of this far-flung and often persecuted diaspora really hits home... a moving portrait of cultural pride." [4 Stars****]
- Time Out NY link | PDF
"mind-blowing... fascinating... moving... compelling... see it... see it again"
- Huffington Post
"It is one of the best films I've ever seen. It conveys such an important message in such a profound way. You learn so much of humanity and decency."
- Albert Maysles interviewed in The Desert Sun link | PDF
"...an irresistibly vibrant concert-tour documentary."
- Entertainment Weekly link | PDF
"A potent combination of ethnography and concert film, Brit helmer Jasmine Dellal's joyous celebration of tzigane music follows the 2001 U.S. 'Gypsy Caravan' tour, which showcased five bands from four countries."
- Variety, Ronnie Scheib link | PDF
"an artful and art-full documentary... It's brimming with sorrow, succor, and sensitivity and reminds us that until the lion does lie down with the lamb, members of a tribe - and artists - must look out for one another."
- Craig Smith, The New Mexican
"This is music to gorge on, raw ethnic survival in the form of sound."
- Boston Globe, Ty Burr link | PDF
"Hope for theatrical success for all types of non-fiction films... received a boost from the impressive .... launch of Shadow Distribution's concert film Gypsy Caravan..."
- indieWIRE link | PDF
"edifying and wondrous, rhythmically engulfing... charming, raw and insightful... el Pipa elucidates the meaning of the Spanish term, "el duende"; a word designating the chills and the impulse to cry sometimes caused by passionate music. It's an experience that will be had by many an audience member."
- Santa Fe Reporter, Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff link | PDF
"If you like Roma music (and if you don't I hope you can be reincarnated until you do; it'll be worth it) you'll love this brilliantly crafted documentary film."
- IMdB review by Atkinson On Film link | PDF
"it's hard not to be impressed by the breadth of cultural personalities embodied in the Romani musicians and dancers of Gypsy Caravan"
- Newsday link | PDF
"Gypsy Caravan is a finger-snappin', foot-stompin', bling shakin', and sometimes heart-melting delight: let's hope it helps keep building those churches and roads and putting food on the table for those back at whatever home these families can make of existence on a seemingly endless road."
- Twitch link | PDF
It's hardly surprising that Gypsy Caravan, a lively and lovely music documentary, is rife with whirling rhythms, wild, soaring melodic lines, the ululations of singers steeped in centuries of Romany tradition.
What comes as a revelation, though, is that this ... manages to reveal as much about the performers as the songs they play.
Philadelphia Inquirer link | PDF
"The music is infectious and enjoyable..."
- New York Post link | PDF
"A must see for fans of the music and if you've never heard this type of music before, you'll likely be a fan afterward."
- Numbers
"So full of life it leaves me speechless... I'm a tough critic, but this is really one of the best films I've ever seen!"
- Albert Maysles, documentary legend (upon seeing film for first time since shooting for it 5 years earlier)
"spine-straightening performances ... the best kind of roadtrip movie"
- Flavorpill link | PDF
"a superb concert flick... go for the music, stay for the humanity"
-KQED Arts and Culture, Michael Fox link | PDF
"Gypsy Caravan and its accompanying soundtrack album, released by the World Village label, have the potential of being for this music what the Buena Vista Social Club project was for Cuban styles..."
- Spinner.com, Steve Hochman link | PDF
"The simplicity ensures an accessible saturation in the often intense and intoxicating sounds made by musicians who are, by turns, humble and histrionic."
- New York Sun, Steve Dollar link | PDF
"Gypsy music rears its melodious head... featuring fierce fans of the form (including Johnny Depp), the film is a gorgeous surround-sound celebration of misery and oppression turned into music."
- Vancouver Film Fest
"while we may initially be fascinated by the music itself, When the Road Bends
- tales of a Gypsy Caravan convinces us that the story truly lies with the people who make the music."
- Tribeca Film Festival, Steven Synder
"With unprecedented access to a world known by few outsiders, Jasmine Dellal has created a work to rival Tony Gatliff's Latcho Drom"
- Palm Springs Film Festival
"A Gypsy proverb says, 'You can't walk straight when the road bends.' A lyrical film, musical and road movie, in which Gypsy music escapes from its usual 'ghetto' to become a major international event."
- Karlovy Vary Film Fest
"...if Sasha Baron Cohen could find some time in his busy career to look at the deeper reality of Roma life, he would be well-advised to see Gypsy Caravan for an object lesson in how life should be lived."
- Louis Proyect link | PDF
"the film is unquestionably a success; its musician-interviews are candid and its on-stage performances are remarkable. The music itself is infectious and captivating."
- WebFives link | PDF
"We're treated to Fanfare Ciocarlia's eleven-man Romanian brass band that sounds more like Germanic oompah than anything from Southeastern Europe; Indian Raga that brings back memories of the early-seventies when everyone was studying the sitar under Ravi Shankar's influence; Romanian violin, played so fast that fiddlers might be accompanying the hot-dog eating contest at Nathan's; and jazz."
- Compuserve, Harvey Karten link | PDF
"... this exuberant film features long musical interludes ...Gypsy music is the music of pain, poverty and oppression, all of which she's experienced; it's their blues."
- TV Guide, Maitland McDonagh link | PDF
"... a kaleidoscopic vision of a people scattered around the world, a shattering of the pervasive negative myths about Gypsies, and, of course, a lot of beautiful music." [4 stars]
- Hartford Courant, Susan Dunne link | PDF
"In the end, you leave worrying a bit about their families and what it must be like to go back to extreme poverty after seeing the world. But you're also left with an enormous amount of admiration for their general enthusiasm for life."
- LAist, Simone Snaith link | PDF
"Even if you have little interest in the music of the far-flung Romany people and not much patience for concert movies, you are likely to want to run away with this Gypsy Caravan."
- The Georgia Straight Vancouver link | PDF
"More than a vibrant experiment in ethnomusical cross-pollination, it's just great fun, tempered by loss but rippling with gusto."
- Nashvville Scene, Jim Ridley link | PDF
"The music documentary Gypsy Caravan is an eye-opener, an ear-opener and, most important, a heart-opener."
- Dallas Morning News, by Colin Covert for Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune link | PDF
"Gypsy Caravan is a film about a misunderstood people and their greatest passions: family, freedom and song."
- The Observer Eccentrc/Hometown Life *** link | PDF
"A journey into the world, language, tradition and music of the Romani people, and well worth the trip."
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review link | PDF
"So much good and soulful mus rses through Gypsy Caravan, you can barely keep track of the Romanis without a scorecard. "
- Chicago Tribune link | PDF
"As an intelligent introduction to a lush and unappreciated culture, Caravan more than drives its point home."
- Time Out Chicago link | PDF
"...a fascinating journey full of knockout music..."
- Tennesean, Dana Kopp Franklin link | PDF
"Whimsical and absorbing, the film offers vibrant performance scenes spliced with thoughtful consideration of the Romani identity."
- The Austin Chronicle, Marrit Ingman link | PDF
"Given extraordinary access to a world known by few outsiders, Dellal takes full advantage by reaching out to the community's key players..."
- Discovery, Steven Synder link | PDF
"Jasmine Dellal is an epic story-teller who uses time and music like two added dimensions to the sweep of her rich filmic saga. This film tells the story of a people separated by every possible evil of history, yet kept together and nourished by the underground of their music. This is a documentary of the highest order, a profound and insistent work that manages to create suspense, while sounding profound depths of poetry. I cried and I grinned, simultaneously sometimes. She is a great ambassador for the Romani people and for their music. I defy either your feet or your heart to stand still while watching this movie."
- Andrei Codrescu, NPR commentator, writer
Interviews / Features
Sight and Sound's Sophie Mayer blogs about Depp and Gypsies and Carmen and this film and injustice...
- Sophie Mayer blog link | PDF
In-depth interview with director/producer Jasmine Dellal gives background about making this film and views on filmmaking in general.
- EFilmCritic.com, Jason Whyte link | PDF
In-depth interview with Jasmine Dellal about GYPSY CARAVAN and AMERICAN GYPSY
- Stylus Magazine PDF
"high octane documentary... set to propel Gypsy music into the mainstream musical consciousness."
- Evening Standard link | PDF
"A great sampler of Roma (Gypsy) music with outstanding road footage would be enough, but the insight into the Roma heart is priceless."
- Monsters and Critics link | PDF
"A new documentary, Gypsy Caravan, chronicles the trans-Atlantic music tour of five major Gypsy ensembles. Director Jasmine Dellal discusses the film."
RADIO - NPR Day to Day, June 29, 2007 link
Fun little Interview with director about favourite technology...
- The Guardian (UK) link | PDF
FRENCH - Interview with Jasmine by Gwenaël Tison.
- Excessif link | PDF
Columnist Derek Beres muses about Roma, Music and Film - and this film.
- Popmatters link | PDF
Conversation with director Jasmine Dellal during the 14th Titanic Film Festival, Budapest, Hungary, April 2007.
- Budapest Sun, Adèle Eisenstein link | PDF
Profile of George Eli, Romani soundman for GYPSY CARAVAN
- Hartford Courant link | PDF
RADIO - interview with Jasmine Dellal and musings on Roma and music.
- WNYC Soundcheck, June 2007 link | PDF
FEATURE on RISE OF ROMANI MUSIC "...artfully interweaves scenes from their lives on the road with poignant snapshots of their personal lives, painting a vivid portrait of the Romani people."
- Newsweek International, Ginanne Brownell and Amber Haq link | PDF
"Roma Rule - Gypsy music is escaping its 'ghetto' in Romania to become a worldwide sensation that some fans liken to the birth of jazz.
... Gypsy music is stirring audiences around the world. Top bands from Central Europe are playing upwards of 100 foreign gigs a year. Filmmakers are hungry for their scores. Critics have likened the outpouring to the birth of jazz in the U.S. in the 1920s. Says Simon Broughton, co-editor of The Rough Guide to World Music: 'The music does what music should do. It tears at your heartstrings and gets your blood racing."
- TIME Magazine link | PDF
"What is striking about this film is the way in which it portrays the realities behind the glare of the stage lights. Whilst it reveals a world of poverty, racism and suffering - it also shows the supportive, proud and passionately dynamic side to Gypsy life that makes it so alluring to so many."
- Song Lines film review PDF
Non-English Press
Jump to: Dutch | French | Hungarian | Romani | Bulgarian
Dutch
Visie PDF
StapelPlaatje PDF
French
"À (re)découvrir"
- Nicolas Houle, Quebec City link | PDF
"coup de coeur - Emballant!"
- Le Soir Couleur PDF
"L'ambitieuse promesse du film est tenue : transmettre la passion de ces personnes riches de leur musique."
- Premiere link | PDF
VIDEO - French interview with Jasmine Dellal, plus video clips, in Premiere. link | PDF
"...venus des lointains de la douleur et de la misère, pousser 'ce cri vers le monde' à la mélancolie ardente, aux rythmes vertigineux, aux trépidations extatiques. 'Nous avons quelque chose de spécial à apporter au monde,' disent-ils. Gypsy Caravan en porte témoignage."
Marie Noëlle-Tranchant, Le Figaro link | PDF
Falila Gbadamassi, aVoir-aLire link | PDF
Camille Brun, Alice link | PDF
Bijan Anquetil, Le Nouvel Observateur link | PDF
Hungarian
Amaro Drom article in Hungarian of interview with Director Jasmine Dellal at Titanic Film Festival, May 2005 link | PDF
Interview with Jasmine in a magazine called 'AMARO DROM' link | PDF
Romani
Amaro Drom article in Romani of interview with Director Jasmine Dellal at Titanic Film Festival, May 2005 link | PDF
Bulgarian
Interview with Jasmine in the online publication Investor.BG AD link | PDF
Soundtrack Press
Top 10 Albums of 2007
- InnerContinental link | PDF
"Best of 2007" album list!
- Down Beat magazine PDF
"will certainly come to be recognized, along with The Last Waltz, Woodstock and The Buena Vista Social Club, as one of the greatest concert films ever made."
- Amazon.com link | PDF
"23-track goldmine... a brilliant, beautifully packaged compilation deserving widespread attention"
- Global Rhythm PDF
"You've seen the movie, now buy the album... It's a compelling listen"
- Song Lines album Review PDF
"23 examples of the diverse Roma musical culture; a world music ear-opener" - 4 stars
- Audiophile Audition Soundtrack review link | PDF
"this magnificent CD... celebrates the current and vintage music of the Gypsies, with magnificent performances ... spotlight groups and vocalists mix influences from the past with things now in vogue, and the colorful underlying culture also gets plenty of attention."
- Nashville City Paper link | PDF
"This isn't the companion of the movie; better put, it's the sibling, as necessary and integral to a greater understanding of Rom culture as any visual stimuli can provide"
- Whole Life Times link | PDF
The New York Times link | PDF
World Music Central link | PDF
"when Fanfare Ciocarlia start playing live, you know this is going to be exceptionally good!"
Muzikifan.com link | PDF
"the small asides make this album so wonderful"
- Sing Out link | PDF
Even More Press
See even more press here.
