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
"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 | PDF
"deserves to have its brilliant colors, lavish costumes and vivacious musical numbers seen on the big screen."
- Village Voice, Jim Ridley | PDF
"mind-blowing... fascinating... moving... compelling... see it... see it again"
- Huffington Post
"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 | PDF
"Intoxicating... Compelling... transcends the music documentary genre"
- LA Times, Kevin Crust | PDF
"This is music to gorge on, raw ethnic survival in the form of sound."
- Boston Globe, Ty Burr | 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 | 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
"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 | 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 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 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 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 | 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 PDF
"The music is infectious and enjoyable..."
- New York Post | 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
"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 | PDF (second article on music: | PDF )
"This film is impossible to watch without a toe tapping and a big smile." [4 stars]
- The Times of London | 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 PDF
"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 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 | PDF
Interviews / Features
Sight and Sound's Sophie Mayer blogs about Depp and Gypsies and Carmen and this film and injustice...
- Sophie Mayer blog | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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) | PDF
FRENCH - Interview with Jasmine by Gwenaël Tison.
- Excessif | PDF
Columnist Derek Beres muses about Roma, Music and Film - and this film.
- Popmatters | PDF
Conversation with director Jasmine Dellal during the 14th Titanic Film Festival, Budapest, Hungary, April 2007.
- Budapest Sun, Adèle Eisenstein | PDF
Profile of George Eli, Romani soundman for GYPSY CARAVAN
- Hartford Courant | PDF
RADIO - interview with Jasmine Dellal and musings on Roma and music.
- WNYC Soundcheck, June 2007 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | PDF
VIDEO - French interview with Jasmine Dellal, plus video clips, in Premiere. | 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 | PDF
Falila Gbadamassi, aVoir-aLire | PDF
Camille Brun, Alice | PDF
Bijan Anquetil, Le Nouvel Observateur | PDF
Hungarian
Amaro Drom article in Hungarian of interview with Director Jasmine Dellal at Titanic Film Festival, May 2005 | PDF
Interview with Jasmine in a magazine called 'AMARO DROM' | PDF
Romani
Amaro Drom article in Romani of interview with Director Jasmine Dellal at Titanic Film Festival, May 2005 | PDF
Bulgarian
Interview with Jasmine in the online publication Investor.BG AD | PDF
Soundtrack Press
Top 10 Albums of 2007
- InnerContinental | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | PDF
The New York Times | PDF
World Music Central | PDF
"when Fanfare Ciocarlia start playing live, you know this is going to be exceptionally good!"
Muzikifan.com | PDF
"the small asides make this album so wonderful"
- Sing Out | PDF
Even More Press
See even more press here.
